Inked
by Loopy1147
Summary: Tris Prior is one of the most renowned artists in Illinois. She is best known for her interpretive design skills when sketching tattoos. When Tobias Eaton comes in, offering an irresistible challenge, he learns the reason for her fame, and she learns what's led him to her shop. AU FourTris Be sure to let me know what you think!
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! This is a new story I started the other day. I've recently been super fascinated by tattoos, and I figured it would be fun to combine two of my favorite things - FourTris and art! For those of you who haven't read my Random AU One-Shots story, you should know I'm not a huge fan of unrealistic drama being thrown onto these characters. So while this story may end up being a bit long, it will not include any plot twists that you would not have otherwise seen coming or that do not make sense. With that said, I hope you enjoy my story! :)**_

It was a Wednesday. Tris could usually count on that one day of the week for a break of sorts, since it was Wednesday, for Christ's sake, and she couldn't think of anyone in their right mind who would wake up and say, "It's Wednesday! Time to accomplish things." Lord knows it took three cups of coffee just to drag her to get dressed. Wednesdays were the days when she was reminded just how long a week is, and she hated it.

A part of her knew it was bad for her to work _every single day_ , but when she'd opened the shop nearly three years ago, her father's lack of faith had pissed her off. He expected her to half-ass everything, to get by with just a couple hours a week, and she wanted, _needed_ to prove him wrong.

"Stop scowling. It's your own fault you're here," Tori teased, stepping into Tris's office to grab some sketch paper. Her comment was rewarded with a sleepy glare, and a grumbled order to shut the hell up. Tori laughed.

"Hey," she said as she moved back to her workstation, "at least we haven't had any customers."

Tris's head shot up at her words, prepared to scold her for jinxing the process, but Tori was already gone. Tris dropped her head on her desk and groaned. She hadn't slept much this past week, since she'd been swamped with clients. She'd had to do lots of research for some of her sketches. Not to mention, she'd worked at least seven hours of overtime in the office. Tori's brother back home wasn't doing too well, and Tris understood she couldn't be here all of the time.

Briefly, Tris wondered if she should hire another artist, but her stubbornness stopped her. They could make it on their own. Of course they could. Her shop was one of the most renowned in Illinois, and that was all because of the work she and Tori had done. They were fine.

The bell rang. Tris groaned again. Tori _had_ jinxed it, and Tori was about to leave. Even though Tris was too stubborn to leave on the quietness of Wednesdays, Tori wasn't. She always left around noon, coming in for three hours for no other reason but to humor her boss.

Tris could hear Tori's laugh as she passed by her office again, this time with her stuff in tow. "Tris will be right with you," she chirped, presumably to the client. Tris made a mental note to strangle Tori tomorrow, and then she lugged herself from her chair, straightened her black tank top, and forced a smile on her face.

When she went out to greet the customer, she didn't recognize him. _Of course I don't_ , she reminded herself. _No client of mine has balls enough to show up on a_ Wednesday _._

"Hey, welcome to Sparks Ink," she greeted politely reaching out her hand for him to shake. He glanced at it warily before struggling through the offered handshake. He seemed very uncomfortable with the gesture and in being in the shop in general.

Tris quirked an eyebrow, but she didn't want to make him even more awkward, so she remained quiet as she led him back into her office.

She waited for him to sit before she plopped into her beloved swivel chair. He was sitting straight as a rod. She watched him Adam's apple bob and quirked her eyebrow again before smiling.

"So," she started, somewhat skeptical, "I'm Tris, and I'll probably be the artist working on you."

He watched her for a second. Something about her made him hyper-aware of everything around him. Like she was judging him for being here without showing it. But he supposed that could just be the trust issues ingrained deep in his habits.

She waited as he cleared his throat. "Tobias," he replied, nodding a bit. He reached up and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well," she leaned forward, pressing her elbows into her desk and clasping her hands in front of her, "what are you looking to get?" It was rare in this shop for someone to come with an exact sketch prepared, since she was known for her interpretive designing skills, but she still wanted to get an idea of what the client was hoping for.

And for some reason, she was very interested in what this particular client had to say. Everything about him screamed discomfort, but his eyes were a peculiar shade of blue, and they held determination. She had a feeling he had never gotten a tattoo before.

Tobias met her eyes for a second before letting his gaze fall again. He'd never shown anyone what he was about to show this stranger, and he didn't want to make any kind of connections with her beforehand, not even small talk. He didn't want her to get attached enough to pity him.

To her surprise, he didn't answer. Instead, he stood, turning his back to her, and she was about to confront him for his asshole-ish-ness when he abruptly removed his black t-shirt.

Her eyes widened as she took in the white lines jagged across his skin, trying to ignore the way his muscles nervously jumped under its surface. She wondered vaguely what kind of monster would do this to such a man, and her hands involuntarily balled into fists.

She released the grip as soon as she noticed it, her shock now aimed at a different matter. People had come to her before for this same reason, covered in memories of hatred and abuse, but she'd never felt this _angry_ before.

Tobias turned back around. She'd surely seen enough by now, and he was starting to feel sick. What was she thinking?

He finally met her eyes and was startled to see the energy there. They were blue and gray at the same time, radiating some kind of challenge towards him. The wheels turning in her head were practically visible. It was striking.

Her mind shuffled through designs she'd done before and designs she'd been wanting to try, before coming to a decision and refocusing on the man in front of her. She hadn't even noticed he'd turned around, and suddenly her eyesight was directed toward a sculpted abdomen plated with golden skin.

 _Jesus._

Tris shook her head a bit as he reached for his shirt, trying to clear her mind. She needed to focus, so she pulled out her notebook to start some sketches.

Tobias sat down in front of her again, nervously waiting for her to pass judgment on him. But when she looked up from the sketchbook in front of her, he was surprised and relieved to see there was no pity in her stormy eyes. Simply wonder, curiosity, like she was trying to figure out what to make of him, and he supposed she was, in a way.

"Have you ever heard of a blackout tattoo?" she asked him, smiling slightly. She'd only done dotwork and watercolor geometric work in this area of tattooing, but blackwork was something she'd been studying and practicing intensely this past couple of months.

Tobias told her he hadn't, and he was struck breathless for a second by the excited energy radiating off of her. He had been nervous coming in here today without any idea of what tattoo to get, only knowing that he wanted any trace of Marcus covered, and the added stress weighed on him after hearing warnings of coming here on Wednesdays. It was his own fault, though. He'd known before coming, and some stubborn, spiteful part of him put him in his Buick and drove him here.

But the way she was excited about doing this tattoo, the smile on her face and the eagerness of her sketching hand, she put him at ease. He had no idea what the hell a blackout tattoo was, but for some unknown reason, he wanted to trust this girl, this _Tris_. He wanted her to know him, for him to confide in her, and he wanted to know her, too. It seemed only right to offer her his back as a starting point.

Tris was already sketching out what she'd envisioned painted on his back the second he'd shown it to her. She was incorporating all of the symbols she'd created with Tori, when she first opened the shop, her Sparks Ink specialties. Each one represented a virtue she valued, and she often had someone come in and ask for a specific one.

She herself already had two of them drawn on her.

She'd been sketching for ten minutes straight, a grin plastered on her face, completely oblivious to her client. But when she remembered his presence, her head shot up, her eyes wide as they met his. What the hell was she _doing_? She hadn't even _spoken_ to him yet, and she was drawing this out as if she had any idea of what he wanted.

Tobias couldn't help but smile at her expression. It was obvious she'd been completely absorbed in her work, and it was also obvious she didn't think that was a good thing. Her face flushed red, and Tobias bit back a laugh. She didn't know that he didn't give a damn what the tattoo was.

"I'm _so_ sorry…" she muttered, gathering the drawings on her desk. Her mind was clouded, her focus wavering, and her hands shook a little. Perhaps the three cups of coffee hadn't been such a great idea…

But her gaze shifted back to the man in front of her when she heard him let out a shaky, harsh breath.

His shoulders were pulled tight to his body, bouncing slightly as his hands rested on his abdomen.

She glared. He was _laughing_ at her. A part of her wanted to wipe the grin off his face, but a much larger part wanted to join in, for whatever reason. He'd seemed so serious since he stepped into the room, and this was the first time she'd seen that shell broken. His smile was contagious.

"You don't understand," he chuckled, waving his arms to stop her offered sketches. Her brow furrowed. He didn't want to see? Not even curious, after all that work she'd put into it?

What the hell?

But he leaned forward a bit so he could meet her confused, offended gaze. He shook his head a bit, the smirk still present. "I leave my skin in your capable hands."

Now she was _very_ confused. "You…" she shook her head, sat back down. "You don't want to see it first…?"

Tobias shrugged. He didn't care what tattoo he got, but he also wanted to let Tris draw freely on him. She seemed confined in the limitations tattooing provided, and that was why she'd been so consumed in her drawing. He wanted to set her free.

"Nope. Just cover the scars, and I'll be happy." Tris eyed him warily, setting the papers back in front of her, but her mouth slowly curved into a shit-eating grin, a Tris grin.

"So I could just draw a huge dick on your back." her voice was teasing, skeptical, deadpan.

Tobias laughed, a real laugh, and Tris decided she loved the sound. His eyes gleamed with the same mirth hers did. "I'm willing to take that risk. I am your canvas."

 _ **How was it? I try to stick to the original personalities, but I enjoy enhancing some of their understated traits. Like in this story, Tris will be a bit more badass and confident than her usual self. She's still insecure, but not in the same ways. You'll see some of that later ;) And I also want to bring out Tobias's selfless side, since in the books it said he had an aptitude for Abnegation, but we didn't really see this in him. At least, his selfless acts weren't as obvious as some of Tris's. But anyway, let me know what you think! Should I continue this? Or is it too different? Thanks for reading! - Loopy**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks so much to the people who supported the continuation of this story! I hope I can meet your standards! Here's chapter two :)**_

Tris didn't sleep again that night, but when she was rushing to get showered and dressed for work the next morning, she didn't show anything but a smile. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to admit it. Her entire night was spent with her tablet and pen, sketching various designs over the picture of Tobias's back she'd taken.

Poe had been with her all night long, but he couldn't say he'd stayed awake the whole time. Tris teased him when he woke up, nudging his head playfully and asking if he'd had a nice nap, but she didn't mind much. He was a lazy dog, had always been, and she loved his calm. Besides, his snores reminded her that she was alive in the moments when life seemed pointless, late at night after a long day. He kept her going.

But even Poe noticed her difference in moods. She hadn't even scolded him for not hurrying with her, which had become an almost daily routine. Instead, while she was running all over the place, drippy-haired and barefoot, gathering up her supplies, she paused briefly to scratch behind his ears.

"You wanna come with me to work today?" she asked cheerily, and the Newfoundland's ears perked up. He didn't move, but she could see in his eyes that he would be right behind her once she left the house. She laughed, shook her head, then scurried to her bedroom to shove on some shoes.

As predicted, Poe clambered to the front door as Tris finished getting ready, and by the time she was at the door with him, he had his beady eyes trained fixedly on her motorcycle outside the window.

She laughed again. Usually, when she had Poe with her, they walked to the shop. But today she'd brought it to the last minute as she finished up her sketches, and the only way she'd be able to open on time was for her to take her Harley.

Which meant harnessing Poe into her side car.

His tail was clumsily wagging as she reached around to fasten him in. He was huge, and the movement was making things quite a bit more difficult, but she knew better than to scold him. His tail rarely wagged, and he didn't get to ride with her often. In this moment, he was genuinely happy, and who was she to challenge that?

Tori laughed, watching Poe's ears flying back in the wind, his mouth open and his tongue flopping as they neared the parking lot. Her boss spoiled that dog too damn much.

"Let me guess: Poe wasn't in enough of a hurry, and now he's made you ten minutes late," she teased, reaching for Tris's bag so she could get her dog. Tris locked the motorcycle in place against the back of their building, removing her helmet before moving to Poe.

She shrugged at her friend, a wild smirk on her face. Poe was her brother, her best friend, and it wasn't uncommon knowledge that he had a track record for taking the blame on her behalf. He _always_ made her late.

She led them inside the shop, flipping the sign to "Open" on her way to her desk. Poe moved to his cushion in the corner of the lobbying, lying down as soon as he made contact with its soft fabric. Tori chuckled at his apparent tiredness. "You're dog's almost as lazy as you," she called, turning on the lights.

"Shut up!" Tris returned, but she was smiling as she eagerly dumped out what she'd finished last night. She'd never been so excited about a tattoo before, and hadn't been able to stop thinking about the assignment since she'd met Tobias.

He was giving her something she'd never experienced before - freedom. All of her artistic inspirations and imaginations were coming into play on this one, and she could actually do whatever the hell she wanted. A part of her was still skeptical, worried that he'd end up regretting letting her put the tattoo on him without seeing it first, but he was very adamant. He insisted he didn't give a shit what that tattoo was, as long as it covered him.

There were papers scattered all over her desk now, most of them scrawled with blackout sketches, designs she'd never used before, and it made her smile widen. This was going to be fun.

However, as she contentedly sank into her chair, she remembered she had other clients to work for. There were two consultants she had today before Tobias's, and both of those were designs she'd done hundreds of times. Of course, she loved what she did, even though it became tedious, but she couldn't pretend like his request wasn't refreshing to her.

Her first client was to come in at ten. An hour. Tris forced herself to put away Tobias's back, to shove all of those designs into her bottom drawer, the one designated for personal projects. She wasn't sure why she'd put them there, or why that was her first instinct, but she didn't move them.

"Okay," she muttered to herself, trying to force focus into her mind, "Christina's first today." She dragged the watercolor compass sketch in front of her. They'd already done the outlining for this design. Today was coloring. _Okay_ , she thought as she wheeled her chair to the mobile cart against the wall, _coloring is fun_.

And it was true. When she'd started to study tattooing, she knew for a fact that she wanted to do watercolor. She loved seeing different colors together and how they complimented one another. It fascinated her. What she hadn't expected was becoming enthralled by geometric designs. But she was exceptionally good at them, especially ones that included a lot of detail, so she combined the two arts.

Compasses weren't exactly geometric tattoos, but their basic structures were. And the watercolor splash was something Tris had been looking forward to since Christina had entered the shop.

"Hey, Tris?" she heard her client's voice now. She called her into her office, and the woman made herself at home, plopping into the seat across from Tris with a wary grin on her face. "You know there's a dog in your lobby, right?" Her tone was incredulous, as if she thought Tris was stupid for letting such a wild beast in her shop.

Tris just laughed it off. She'd learned early on to not get offended by her clients, or to take what they say personally. It was another reason she'd been so flustered at her meeting with Tobias yesterday; she usually didn't let people get to her like that. But something about his eyes seemed to see right through her, they were so deep…

She shook her head a bit. _Why does he distract me so easily? I need to focus_. "Yeah, that's Poe. He's probably asleep by now," she said nonchalantly. Christina still had that judgmental look on her face. Tris quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't let his size intimidate you, Christina. He can smell fear."

She looked very uncomfortable, and Tris decided she should probably stop teasing her. This woman wasn't the type to have tattoos, so Tris didn't suspect she'd be coming back, but she didn't want bad word going around about her shop, especially since Christina seemed very opinionated.

"Okay, so we're just going to be doing the coloring today," Tris changed subjects, standing and leading Christina back into her workstation, picking up a pair of latex gloves in the process. Christina made herself comfortable in the client chair, rolling up the sleeve of her top to allow easier access for Tris.

"Yeah. Hopefully that turns out as great as the compass part," Christina said nervously, but she tried to hide it with a breathy chuckle. Tris didn't acknowledge her anxiety. Instead she flashed her a calming smile and took a look at her left bicep. The black on the outline seemed to be healed nicely, and there weren't many spots in which it was fading. Tris ran her fingers across the weaker places, and they didn't smudge, which was good. Christina would just need to come back for a touch-up in a month. Not uncommon.

"It did turn out nicely, didn't it? You've taken good care of it." The compliment visibly eased Christina's worry. Tris kept the smile on her face. She'd perfected this technique with her nervous clients. "The coloring is a lot easier to maintain, and it doesn't take as long to heal. You'll be perfectly fine, I'm sure." Christina smiled now, too.

Tris turned to her worktable and unwrapped a needle to attach the machine. Then she picked out the first color, an off-white creamy color. Christina's skin was a deep caramel color, so Tris would need to use darker colors than usual, but that was only an extra challenge. It drove her determination to give an awesome tattoo.

Christina's pain tolerance was pretty high for someone who didn't like needles. But Tris knew the process was still bothering her, because she didn't talk much during the coloring. And Tris couldn't get her to shut up when they were having their meetings.

Without bringing attention to this, Tris gave her a ten minute break to get a drink and go to the bathroom and such. Tris spent this time grabbing a water from Tori's office's mini fridge, and then going to check on Poe.

She'd expected him to be asleep - he was _always_ sleeping - but to her abundant surprise, he was fully awake, being pet by a crouching man.

It was Tobias. She'd recognize that back anywhere, after staring at it for hours and hours last night.

"You're early," she deadpanned, waiting for him to turn around and greet her. But he remained eye-level with her dog, only briefly flashing her a ghost smile.

"I didn't know you had a dog," he said simply, not bothering to answer her unspoken question. He knew his appointment wasn't for another three hours, but he didn't have to work today, and something about her couldn't keep him away. He wanted to see her again, to see her eyes light up as she talked about his surprise tattoo.

He'd never been so entranced by another person, but Tris was thoroughly fascinating to him. She was passionate about what she did, about the art _and_ about helping people through it.

It was clear she'd covered scars like his before, and he couldn't help but feel grateful towards her. Tris was doing this amazing thing for him, erasing the memory of Marcus somewhat, and she was acting like it was no big deal, just another part of her job.

"Yeah. He likes to chill here." She paused. Laughed a bit. "Well, he likes to chill _everywhere_ , but I like having him with me. He keeps me grounded." He really had helped her through a lot. She wasn't sure she would be standing here now if it weren't for Poe's unwavering loyalty.

Tobias turned around to look at her. She was watching the dog, her hurricane eyes glazed over a bit as she seemed deep in thought. There was a calm smile on her face, but he could see the pain in whatever she was remembering. He'd never had someone or something that held him to reality, so he wasn't quite sure what this dog meant to her, but he suddenly had the urge to wrap her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay.

But the moment passed abruptly as a tall woman made her way into the lobby, yawning a bit. "Okay, Tris, I think I'm good," she chirped, her eyes on Tris before slowly drifting to him. He felt very uncomfortable under her critical eyes, which were now moving suspiciously between him and Tris. He turned back to the dog.

"Alright, let's finish this, then," she replied kindly. Tobias had never heard her voice so light, so sweet. It didn't match her personality very much. He wondered how long she'd practiced being kind for the sake of others'. Perhaps as long as he'd rehearsed being stable despite his mind constantly tearing itself apart.

But that wasn't right, not entirely. She _was_ kind. She was a tattoo artist because she enjoyed helping other people. It was just a different type of kindness, an underrated type. He smiled a bit at the thought that he knew that and other people were too blind to see it.

Tris glanced over her shoulder on her way to the office. Tobias was grinning, his hands rubbing behind Poe's ears, and she almost stopped in her tracks at the sight of his tail, gracelessly flopping side to side.

She grinned, too. She told herself it was because she enjoyed seeing her dog happy, but a smaller, wiser part of her knew that wasn't the only reason.

 _ **Oh yeah, just letting you know now, I am not going to be using the tattoo Four had in the movies. I used that one as inspiration, but the tattoo I'm having him get is one of my own design. It's the current cover page for this story (assuming that uploaded correctly XD ) Be sure to let me know what you think! Thank you! - Loopy**_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hey everybody! Thanks for all of the kind reviews; they keep me motivated! This chapter isn't as long as the others have been, but I still hope you enjoy it! And be sure to let me know what you think :) - Loopy_**

"So you finished the sketching?" Tobias asked cheekily as he followed Tris into her office. He enjoyed the way her face flushed red for a second and the way her eyes widened before she narrowed them into a glare.

She sat in her chair, her hand moving to the handle of the drawer where his designs were, but she didn't pull them out. "What makes you think you're that important?" she snapped, but it wasn't as harsh as she'd intended for it to be. Was she really that obvious? And why should it matter so much if she finished them or not?

 _It shouldn't. He's just another client._

Tobias let out a hearty laugh, surprised by her outburst. She was constantly surprising him. Her sense of humor was very dry, very deadpan, and it was very amusing.

Tris was still glaring at him. He could feel it more than he could see it, and when he opened his eyes, his suspicions were confirmed. "You just seem… lighter today. Freer," he explained with a shrug.

Tris stared at him, slightly alarmed, since that was exactly how she was feeling, too. _Jesus, why am I so bad at keeping neutral? Why don't I just spill all of my deepest darkest secrets to him now, since he'll inevitably see them written all over my face in the next hour?_

"Well. I don't see how my mood is any of your concern," she said, a bit lamely. Defensively. She didn't want him to be able to see right through her. His power over her was...unsettling.

To her surprise, he laughed again. "Well," he started, mimicking her tone a bit at the word, "if you're pissed and spiteful, I just might end up with that dick on my back." She couldn't help the lift at the corners of her mouth. "But if you're happy and pleasant, you'll give me the tattoo you envisioned when we first met, when you looked a million miles away."

His comment was meant to be admiring, showing her that he understood how she felt about her art. It was meant to make her remember why she was here, why they both were, and to make her smile.

But the smirk that had formed had now faded away. She looked distant again, but not in a good way. _Stupid_ , he scolded himself. It was clear at that time that she was annoyed with herself for zoning out, for getting carried away. She was self-conscious about it, he supposed, though he didn't understand why. But she seemed very upset now.

Tris _knew_ she shouldn't have become a tattoo artist. When she'd decided to pursue the career, she'd done it with the intent to help people through art, a medium that had helped her through a lot. But she was too selfish for this, too easily distracted by her own wants, her own passion. _And Tobias saw that_ _side of her_. She was suddenly too ashamed to meet his eyes, to show him the design she'd previously been so excited about.

The look in her eyes, or the lack thereof, frightened Tobias. Her energy was apparent in the storms there, but he'd hit her in a place he could not reach anymore.

"Tris -" he started, fighting to find the words to fix this. He'd never been good at speaking to people, let alone cheering them up, but she didn't even give him a chance. She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes were steady.

"I think you should ask Tori about doing your tattoo. I'm not comfortable without an exact idea of what you want." Her smile was mechanical, rehearsed.

Tobias's mind raced. He struggled for something to say, fishing through things he'd noticed about her and trying to find a solution. She was always up for a challenge, that much was clear when he'd met her before. Challenges made her try harder, made her come to life.

He looked into her eyes. They were glazed, lost. Dead. He made a decision.

"So you're just going to _give up_?" he asked, a bit desperately, emphasising the words he knew would sink in the most. To his relief, energy flashed behind her eyes, her brow furrowing a bit. He kept going, determined. "Because what I asked for is too unreasonable for you?"

Tris was slowly coming back to her senses, very aware of the man in front of her and his questioning of her ability. She wanted to punch him. Hard.

"If that's true, then you're _not_ who I thought you were."

And _who_ exactly did he think she was? What right did _he_ have to think anything at all about her and the way she lived?

Her hands balled into tight fists at her side, and she crossed her arms over her chest to cover them up. She fixed a glare on Tobias, whose expression was unreadable. "No," she retorted, pissed that he would her so weak, "I just didn't want have to deal with your infuriating ass." She stood, pulling the sketches out of the drawer and slamming them on the desk between them, face-down so he wouldn't see all of the details.

Tobias grinned as relief flooded through him. He felt as if he'd just performed some kind of surgery, even though all he'd done was feed her fire. She would've been fine without his help, but he was too selfish to let her be. He needed to see her alive again.

"But since you're so adamant," she growled, grabbing his arm and dragging him to her workstation, her sketches in hand, "it looks like I don't have a choice."

He fell into the client chair, assuming that's where he'd be instructed to sit, but she shook her head at him a bit. The anger was rolling off of her, but it was fading. She just needed a moment to cool down, and he'd give her that much, after what he'd put her through.

Tris motioned for him to lie down on the bed in the far corner of the room. That's where she usually did tattoos like the one she was doing for him, since it gave her more room to move and to reach the area on which she was drawing. He followed her instructions. She could feel herself calming down, both because she didn't like losing control of herself in front of her customers and because she couldn't really stay mad at him, despite how easily he could piss her off.

"So, this is pretty huge," she started, her voice low, quiet. He listened intently. "It'll probably take multiple sessions to do, and it will require a lot of sitting still and enduring pain, okay?" It was something she explained a lot, he could tell. She seemed bored, in a way, as she pulled out a machine and a packaged needle. Tobias nodded.

Grabbing the sketch she'd decided on, Tris told him she'd be right back, she had to make a transfer. While she was gone, Tobias pulled his shirt over his head and made himself comfortable on his stomach. He couldn't really complain. Multiple sessions meant seeing more of her, and that definitely wasn't a bad thing.

He'd been lying there for two minutes at most, his eyes drifting closed, when he suddenly felt moisture on his face. He yanked back, his eyes flying open, his arms up defensively. Beady eyes stared back at him incredulously. _Scary, am I? What a wuss,_ they said. Tobias laughed, relaxing again.

"Poe." Tris's voice was soft yet firm, an order unspoken. The dog, Poe, turned to her and gave her a look that read _Shush, shush, I'm leaving, woman._

Tobias laughed again as Tris settled herself in the chair beside him. His laughter stopped short as he realized how close she was to his bare torso, but she seemed to be unaffected, so he tried to remain calm. "Your dog is as sarcastic and spiteful as you," he teased. He was glad to see her grin. She wasn't mad anymore, at least not as much.

"Yeah, he's an ass," she chuckled, holding up a transparent paper covered in ink. She vaguely noticed Tobias looking away. _He really trusts me to do this, doesn't he?_ Her hands delicately laid the transfer across his back, positioning it exactly where she'd envisioned it.

It looked as awesome as she'd hoped.

Tobias tried to ignore the static overwhelming his body at the feel of her hands smoothing over his bare skin. So did Tris. Neither of them mentioned anything, though both of their minds were racing.

"So," Tris cleared her throat, "It's obvious you've never gotten a tattoo before."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tobias interrupted, slightly amused at the playful judgment in her voice.

She laughed. It was a musical sound. "You're so…uncomfortable here. I can feel the awkwardness radiating off of you as soon as you walk in the door."

"Well," he said before he could stop himself, "that isn't just because I've never gotten a tattoo."

Tris froze for a moment. What was that supposed to mean? Was he calling her shop uncomfortable? After she'd worked so hard to make it inviting?

It took her a second to realize she was blushing. She turned away from him and busied her hands with preparing the machine.

"Anyway, if you need me to stop, I will. Just let me know." She placed a black ink cartridge in the machine a pressed her foot against the petal to test its mobility. The sound made her heart race, as it always had. "And this session will take a couple of hours probably since I have to do the outline around the main parts, so the rest of your today schedule should be clear."

Tobias smiled at the way her eyes lit up with the machine and rolled to his side a bit. "And if it's not?"

She smiled, too. "Then I guess you're screwed. Now hold still, or you're getting a dick."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey, everybody! Again, thank you for the reviews! I read every single one, and they just make my day :) This chapter kind of wrote itself, and I don't like it very much since I feel like it's pointless rambling, but that's basically what all my stories are, right? XD So here you go; here's chapter 4. Hope you enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think! - Loopy**_

"Why Poe? I meant to ask before..." Tobias's voice was unexpected, but Tris didn't flinch, didn't even let her eyes drift from his back. This was her element.

She smirked. "Didn't you go to school? Not that I'd be surprised if you didn't…" her voice trailed off. It was clear she was teasing, despite her tone remaining deadpan. Tobias's eyebrows rose, his mouth curling into a grin.

"Geez, someone's pissy today," he chuckled. He was only partially joking. This session had been going differently than the last one. Tris had been uncharacteristically quiet for the first hour and a half of the appointment, not even bashing on his outfit, which he admitted he wore just to piss her off. He'd triggered a passionate, hateful rant the last time he'd brought up Captain America, so naturally he picked out the shirt with his shield as the one to wear today.

But it was like she hadn't even noticed. And while he usually admired how lost she could become in her art, today it was like she was drowning in it, hiding in the buzzing of the machine. It worried him more than it should've, but she was the only friend - and that's what he felt she was to him - he had that he felt completely comfortable around, and he was protective of that trust. It was selfish of him, he knew, but he didn't know what else to do. Trust wasn't something that came easily to him. But then he met Tris, and he wanted to tell her his life story, his social security number, his blood type, his zodiac sign-

 _Oh my god. What's happened to me?_

"Just a long night," she grumbled, her ghosted smile fading. She didn't want to explain to him that she hadn't slept in over a month, that when she tried she was plagued by nightmares. They weren't even sensible nightmares, like things that would've been triggered by actual events, but they were enough to remind her that she wasn't good enough for this, for him, for Tori, for Poe, and that she never would be.

Tobias had already seen her weak enough. She didn't need him leaving the shop because he didn't trust his artist to keep a steady hand, to remain stable. It had been almost a year since her last full-fledged panic attack, and she'd been trying very hard to keep herself calm, to make herself better, but it would be just her luck to have a breakdown in front of this man, this _friend_. That's what he was now, right? He took too much enjoyment out of pissing her off to _not_ be her friend.

He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that. Fleetingly, he wondered if she had a hangover, but she didn't seem the type to get shitfaced on a work night. Or to get shitfaced at all. But he'd noticed the purple rings under her eyes when he'd walked in today, even if he couldn't see her face now. Judging by her words, she was scowling, and it was obvious she hadn't slept at all last night, but she didn't want to talk about why.

"So… he is named after the poet?" he changed subjects. Tris was relieved at the shift of focus. He'd been coming dangerously close to shit she _didn't_ want to talk about. She nodded before she remembered he couldn't see her.

"Yep. Edgar Allan Poe. He's my favorite writer." Tobias could hear the smile in her voice, and it made him relax.

He winced slightly as the needle started across a particularly sensitive area. To his surprise, Tris laughed. "Yeah, that's what happens when you get tattoos on your shoulder blades. I'm sorry, it'll be a while on this section." It was the first time since he'd met her that her apology sounded genuine, and it brought the contentment back. _She doesn't like hurting me_. That was a concept he wasn't all too familiar with, considering his horrible parents and secluded childhood, but it spread a thick warmth through him, like honey running through his veins. It felt indescribably good.

Suddenly he remembered the birds flying across her collarbone. He'd asked before if they were crows, and she'd corrected him. "Ravens," she'd said. "One for each member of my family." And something about a poem, an Edgar Allan Poe poem, drifted through his mind.

"Is he the reason you picked ravens for your tattoo?" Tris wasn't expecting him to say something like that. It wasn't the reason, although their connection had solidified her desire for the artwork. She smiled again at the memory, of getting her first tattoo. The moment she got it, she knew she was hooked. The needle's vibration was addictive, the ink seemingly mixing with her blood and becoming a part of her. The only reason she'd gone in that day, her eighteenth birthday, was to spite her father since he said tattoos were meaningless and unreasonable.

"Not really, but that connection convinced me even more. No, ravens symbolize protection, and I wanted to show my dad that just because some people get idiotic tattoos, not all tattoos are pointless." Tobias could hear her laugh a bit. "Plus, I just _really_ wanted to piss him off. I had just turned eighteen, and I was loving the fact that he couldn't punish me anymore."

Tobias wanted to laugh, too, since he adored her spiteful nature. But this conversation reminded him too much of his own father, and all he could manage was a choked outburst of air.

Tris scrunched her eyebrows at the sound. And then she abruptly remembered the reason he was here, what she was covering up with this ink, and she understood. She'd reminded him of the torture he'd endured. Anger bubbled up inside of her, fury at the person who'd hurt him this way, but he didn't need her anger. He didn't need her comfort, either, since he was strong enough without her, but she couldn't help herself from wiping away the excess ink on more time and placing the machine gently back on the tray.

Tobias's mind raced. Had he upset her? Was she finally realizing how much of a coward he was, trying to cover up his past rather than face it?

Was she refusing to finish his tattoo?

But his heart slowed down and sped up as he felt her hand press delicately against the small of his back. His eyes drifted closed for a second automatically. Her skin felt impossibly good on his.

Tris couldn't breathe. She'd put her hand on him in an attempt to comfort him, to let him know she was here and wouldn't let anyone hurt him again. It had happened in a sudden rush of bravery, but now it felt stupid. Her hand fell on its own to the only place on his back yet to be covered by ink, but it was lower than she'd expected it to be. _Jesus, when did I cover so much of him?_

"We're gonna take a…" she gulped, coughed a bit, "...a ten minute break. I think we both need it." Usually she would have said something derogatory there, blaming him for the break teasingly, but she didn't think that would help this situation. So she was letting him know that the discomfort she had caused was only meant to make him feel better. She was here to help him, not upset him.

Tobias reached up to rub at the back of his neck. It was something he did when he was nervous, something he'd always done, but Tris surprisingly swatted his hand away. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her voice was incredulous, so different from the softness he'd heard just moments before, and he was entranced that she could be so kind and so fiery at the same time. "You just had a fucking needle pierced into your skin a billion times there, and you think it's a good idea to just go around _scratching_ at it like that? Jesus, you're dumber than I thought…"

Tris grinned as she stood up and grabbed his arm, slowly helping him to his feet. He looked at her once he was standing, cringing slightly from the awkward pain, but he smiled, too. She felt like she was drowning in his eyes.

Her eyes were breathtaking. They were bright blue in this moment, though he was sure they'd been grey when she had her hand pressed against his back. He'd noticed they were only fierce blue like this when she was facing a challenge.

He wondered what was challenging about this moment, about them simply staring into each other's souls as if they did it all the time. Slowly, gently, he saw the exhaustion seep from her gaze, replaced by the intense energy he'd come to crave. She was contagious, intoxicating.

His eyes were mesmerizing. The longer they stared, the more intense the heat consuming her felt. She wasn't sure who would break the contact, since he seemed as frozen as she did, but after what felt like an eternity, she remembered why she'd helped him stand in the first place.

"I'm gonna go get a water…" she muttered, and the entire time she backed out of the workstation, her eyes were glued to his.

"Could you please _try_ to keep your raging hormones at bay?" Tori's teasing voice tore Tris from her reverie and made her pause on her way to the mini fridge, every fiber in her body freezing in surprise.

She didn't turn to meet her friend's eyes until Tori added, "Seriously, I can feel the tension all the way in here, and I can't even hear what you guys are saying." Tris glared, confused. What was she blabbering about now?

"Not that I'd want to…" she mumbled, cheekily grinning at her boss. It was obvious Tris had no idea what she was talking about, so Tori just shook her head and sighed. Her blonde companion had never been very good at seeing these things, even though she picked up on just about everything else.

"What are you…?" Tris didn't even finish asking, instead shaking her head and returning to the lobby. She had a headache now, an intense one that had just come on. There were too many things flooding her mind.

She checked her watch. Seven minutes left.

Tobias hadn't moved from his spot in the workstation. His mind was hazed with everything Tris, but he was vaguely aware of his full bladder. He forced himself to move, to enter the lobby and make his way to the bathroom, careful not to look for Tris. That was too much of a distraction.

But when he finished, he _did_ try to look for her. He couldn't help it, and it was almost time for them to start again. Except he didn't know where she was. He checked their room, her office; he even stopped in the workstation of the other woman, an older lady with a grey streak in her hair. She grinned at him, as if she knew something he didn't. He narrowed his eyes a bit, but he plastered a fake friendly smile on his face. "Excuse me, do you know where I could find Tris? She isn't in the workstation or her office, and she hasn't finished my tattoo…"

The woman was still grinning, her almond eyes crinkling a bit. "Have you checked Poe?" she laughed slightly. Tobias was confused, but he didn't want to bother her anymore, didn't want to feel scrutinized under her gaze, so he stepped out into the lobby again. He was tempted to scratch his neck, but he remembered Tris's words and clenched his fists instead, his nails digging into his palms.

Poe's cushion was in the back corner of the lobby, tucked away behind a black armchair. The only way Tobias had noticed it before was the dog's tail sticking out on one side. He supposed Tris could fit back there without him noticing, as small as she was, but he was skeptical as he went to look there. His movements were stiff, uncomfortable, the searing pain of his back combining into one buzzing throb. It hurt like all hell, but it wasn't as bad as he'd expected it to be. Tris was good at being careful.

When he reached the corner, he smiled at what he saw there. Tris was curled up next to her dog, her head resting on his back, her blonde hair scattered around the both of them. The gentle rise and fall of her body told him she was asleep. And considering the amount of time that had passed since he last saw her, she had been _really_ tired.

Tobias couldn't help but feel a bit worried at her obvious lack of sleep, but he swallowed that down as he crouched down beside her. She looked so gentle when she slept. Next to her dog's thick black coat, she was pale and small, but Tobias knew better. He'd seen her life, her personality and fire that made her strong.

His eyes were drawn to something else, though. In this tangle of pale and black and blonde, there was a flash of color, a tattoo on her left wrist he hadn't noticed before. She had that forearm tucked under her body, the wrist sticking out and on display. He leaned in a bit closer to see what the design was.

When he stood, he was holding back incredulous laughter. This girl never ceased to amaze him. He watched her for a moment, admiring her and how she's helped him, and then he went to the woman and asked if she could bandage up his tattoo so he could go home.

She stared at him at first, and he was beginning to feel very idiotic for asking, so he tried to explain. "It seems she really needs the sleep, and I have a couple more sessions anyway, so I don't really care, and I've been here for a while, anyway…"

Then she grinned. It held sadness, though, Tobias noticed. She stood and led him back to the workstation, pulling out ointment and some bandages. "Yeah," she said, her voice soft, "she's been having a really hard time sleeping recently."

Tobias felt a pang at his heart at that, but he didn't want to pry, so he lamely nodded. The woman gave him a strange look, but then he couldn't see her because she was focusing on his back. When she finished and he glided his loose t-shirt over his head, she shook his hand. "I'm Tori, by the way."

He nodded. "Tobias." On his way out the door, he couldn't help glancing behind the chair at the two on the floor. Her face was buried in Poe's fur, but she was relaxed. He was grinning as he stepped out of her shop and into the sun.


	5. Chapter 5

_**I think I fixed it...? XD**_

 _ **Hey, guys! Thanks again for all of the awesome support! :D This chapter is a bit short, and it's kind of a filler since I just realized I don't really have a plot for this story... The reason I write one-shots is because I like showing the connection between Tobias and Tris without having to worry about conflict and stuff like that. So I have a question: Should I get Tris and Tobias together soon and end the story at that? Or should I write more fillers like this that develop their relationship gradually (which would become tedious and boring to read, so it's not my preference)? Or should I let them get together whenever they feel like getting together (which would probably be sooner than later), and then just write a bunch of filler chapters of their life as a couple? Idk, I'm pretty open to any of these ideas, so I'd like to know what you're interested in reading!**_

 _ **And I apologize that I'm kind of crappy at plot development... I have difficulty coming up with things to have happen, even if I have a general idea of a conflict, and I don't want to bore you to death XD Thanks in advance, and I hope you can forgive me! Love you all - Loopy**_

Tobias's third session was late in the day, beginning at four, and since he'd gotten off work at two and had nothing better to do, he went early again. It hadn't been a bad thing the first time, right? So this would just give him more time to see Tris, even if she was with another client. He'd be content watching her work from the lobby.

But as it turns out, he couldn't have been more wrong. She was working on another client when he came in, and while a part of him knew it was perfectly reasonable for that client to be a man, a much larger part of him was seething at the sight of her nimble hands working on someone else.

He tried to keep his face neutral as he plopped into one of the armchairs, nodding to Tori in the process. Poe wasn't in his corner, which meant Tris hadn't brought him today, and that left Tobias out of distractions. He could use his phone, he supposed, but an agonizing side of him wanted to watch Tris. So he did.

She was laughing. Her eyes closed, her shoulders shaking, her hand slightly away from his skin - he was getting a tattoo on his _thigh_ \- and she was laughing. Tobias felt an unexpected and overwhelming urge to go up and punch the man. She wasn't supposed to laugh like that for _him_.

 _What are you talking about?_ he mentally scolded himself. She was a tattoo artist, naturally social and a specialist in making people feel comfortable. Of course she was funny to other people, too. And he tried to tell himself it was good she was laughing, even if he wasn't the one causing her happiness.

Twenty minutes passed with him sitting there, silently wishing he'd just waited until his appointment time, listening to bits and pieces of her conversation with the man, until they both stood. Tobias's head lifted automatically with the movement, now noticing the lighthouse on his thigh was bandaged and completed. He walked with Tris to her desk, presumably paying, before they made it out to the lobby.

"Thank you so much, Tris," the man said, his voice scratchy. Tobias wondered briefly if he smoked. He hoped he did; Tris had mentioned before how annoying she thought the habit was.

"It's no problem, Al. Lighthouses are pretty straightforward." There was a slight pause, and Tobias felt a wave of relief at how unnaturally conversation with this man came to Tris. "And thank _you_ for putting up with me."

"That's no problem for me, Tris." He smiled. It was too big for his face, and it made him look even more like a teddy bear. "You're really kind." His voice was admiring. In any other circumstance, Tobias would feel jealous, but when he thought of Tris he thought of sarcasm and spite and bravery and brilliance; not once when he pictured her face did he associate her with _kindness_. Kindness was too dull a word for the selfless practice she used.

Tris laughed again, but it was mostly air. Tobias had never heard the sound come out of her before. She waved her hand in the air between them, as if waving off the compliment.

It was then that she noticed Tobias. She couldn't see anything but his right leg and arm around Al's large frame, but she was sure it was him. His golden skin was unmistakable, especially since she thought about it so much…

"Well, Al, I hope you have a nice evening," she said politely, now trying to hurry to what she'd been waiting for these past couple weeks. Today she'd finish filling in the symbols for the virtues, and then in three weeks would be the coloring. After that, they'd have to wait two months before seeing each other again, when he'd come back for touch-ups.

And then…

"Tris-" Tobias sneezed. He didn't necessarily _mean_ to cut off Al's inevitable date invitation; it just kind of happened. But when it did, both the man and Tris turned to look at him.

Tris scowled a bit, moving her mouth to keep it from grinning. He'd done that on purpose, without a doubt, and she was glad for the rescue. Albert was a nice man, a simple man, but she wasn't really looking for a relationship with someone like that. He'd make her feel lesser than him, like she should be kinder, and it would kill her to pretend to be.

"Could you at least _try_ not to get your sickness all over my shop?" she couldn't help herself. She stepped slightly to the side, now meeting Tobias's surprised, grinning eyes. But his mouth was frowning, too. She could tell they were both holding in snickers.

"What do you care?" he sneered, scrunching his nose a bit. Tris noted how adorable the movement was, then returned to their banter as he continued. "It's not like you ever _clean_ this shithole." He seemed to know exactly how to get under her skin. Her shop was her baby, her life, and he'd just accused her of not caring about it.

He was joking, she knew, of course he was. But she made a memo to herself to dig the needle in a bit deeper during their session today, as he was digging into her nerves now. With that revenge planned, she lamely growled, "Fuck you," before turning back to Al, who looked appalled.

But Tobias wasn't finished, just as he knew she wasn't. She wouldn't back away from the challenge he'd just presented; that wasn't like her. _She must be saving it for later…_ He, however, was not that civil. So, as Al said one last awkward goodbye and started heading for the door, Tobias quipped, "Maybe some day," being sure to say it loud enough for the man to here before he slammed the door behind him.

Tobias supposed it was a protective instinct of his, to let Al know that Tris was his, despite the immature comment. He turned his gaze from the door to her, expecting to see her shoulders squared, arms crossed, eyes burning with a scowl lining her lips.

But she was blushing. Shoulders stiff, body frozen, eyes wide. They weren't blue.

 _She's...afraid?_ That didn't seem right, didn't seem like her, but he'd never seen this expression on her before. He stood up and moved towards her, brow furrowed, and it snapped her back to reality. His body froze when she backed up a step automatically. I've made her uncomfortable. The thought made him ache. That hadn't been his intention.

 _Focus, Tris._ She took a deep breath, trying to rid her mind of the barrage of images, of thoughts, of insecurities. She admitted Tobias was _very_ attractive, and even that she had some feelings for him, a crush of sorts.

But she hadn't considered…. Even after twenty-three years, she hadn't been with someone like _that_. She'd had a lot to deal with in her high school career, spending most of her junior and senior years in a hospital, and after her eighteenth birthday, she was on a straight path to becoming a tattoo artist. The only guy she'd had time to have feelings for was Poe. Her whole life, she'd never planned on getting married, having kids. It seemed nice in the movies, but she had a job, a passion, and she didn't have time to go searching for something that could potentially destroy her.

 _Whoa, slow down…_ She'd only just met this guy, and he'd simply made a joking comment about sex, and she was losing her mind, thinking of everything she didn't want and didn't need.

Tris shook her head. She had a tattoo to work on. "Sorry, lost my train of thought for a second," she tried to laugh it off as she led him back to his workstation.

Tobias's insides twisted at the breathy sound of the laugh she'd given Al. What had he done? Was it his comment?

Once he was inside the room and seated, he did the only thing he could think to do. "So who was that?" He couldn't keep the undertone of jealousy out of his voice, although he really tried to.

Tris shook her head again. Al was one of her regulars, although the tattoos he requested were usually small, minimalistic. She wasn't quite sure why he came to such a high key place for such simple art, but she didn't complain. Business was business.

"Al. He's one of my usuals." Tobias felt the pang again. That meant she saw that man all the time. Perhaps he _did_ know her better than Tobias did. Perhaps she _did_ have an underlying kindness that outshined her spitefulness at times.

Perhaps he'd been reading this situation all wrong.

But she continued speaking, her tone slightly annoyed. "He's an annoying prick, to be honest. But he's business, so what can you do?"

Tobias's laugh was probably too loud, too relieved at her admission, but he didn't care. Most of the worry flooded away as she prepared the needle.

"Hey," she accused once his shirt was off, causing him to turn his head to look at her. It strained his neck a bit, since he was lying on his stomach, but it was worth it to see the blue back in her eyes. They narrowed at him. "You left _early_ last time. I just remembered."

He just shrugged. It was infuriating that he could shake off his rude action that easily, but she was somewhat grateful to him. Once she'd woken up, panicked and apologetic, Tori had handed her a coffee from the place down the street, grinning easily at her. "He wanted you to sleep. Said it seemed like you needed it. He wasn't upset, don't worry."

She'd felt a bit better after that, and even more so at Tori's "You should have seen his grin," but the guilt inside of her was causing her to confront him about it. It was her pride, her stubbornness, and she hated it, but Tobias seemed unphased.

"You looked...tired. Figured you needed the rest." Tris didn't know what to say to that, so she jokingly took it as an insult, punching his side lightly.

Tobias winced as he laughed. _Didn't know she could pack a punch, but I don't know why I'm surprised._ "See. You're back to your chipper self," he chirped, earning himself a glare. He watched her eyes as she brought her hands closer to her face, allowing her to better see what she was doing. The movement triggered his memory, and he abruptly laughed.

Tris was confused by his laugh, skeptical, so she didn't make him turn his head right away once she was set up. Instead, she watched his expression, watched his eyes. They were playful, like he was debating whether or not to tell a secret, and it pissed Tris off. She didn't have time for these mind games.

"You're full of surprises, you know," he said matter-of-factly. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I figured you had tons of tattoos, since you're an artist and all." Tris scoffed. Tobias grinned as she told him to turn. He did so, although he was slightly disappointed he wouldn't be able to watch her reaction. Still, he thought of the small ball he'd seen on her wrist, and he finished with a cheeky, "I didn't know you were into Pokemon. That's hot."

He laughed heartily as he felt the needle bury itself too deep in his skin.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hey guys! This chapter's kind of short, too, and a bit more angsty :l The next one will be packed full of all of the sarcastic bickering we all know and love, so hang in there! (It's honestly not that bad, though) Anyway, I'm going to see Civil War (FINALLY) tonight, so I wanted to make sure to get at least something posted today. Hope you enjoy!**_

Tori wasn't surprised when Tris called out sick three weeks later. It was a Tobias day, she knew, and that meant Tris was taking this harder than she'd thought.

Her gaze scanned the screen before her again, a sour taste budding in her mouth. " _Sparks Ink: Losing Its Spark,"_ it said, as if that was some kind of clever name. She wondered how long he'd spent trying to come up with it. Probably _all_ three weeks since he'd been here.

She exhaled deeply, shutting her computer and wiping her hands down her face, trying to ease away the disgust. Al was someone she'd seen in the shop often, always scheduled with Tris. He'd said hello to her a couple of times, and Tori never failed to notice the look in his eyes when he got to Tris's workstation.

So what could have led him to do this to her? She guessed he didn't really know Tris all that well, otherwise he would have thought twice about publishing this. He would have known how much it would destroy her. This shop was one of the only things she allowed herself to take pride in, and now she felt as if she'd done it wrong. As if she didn't deserve it.

Tori would be over at her house with White Castle sliders and red wine if Tris hadn't insisted on keeping the shop open today. She didn't want to make things worse, she'd said.

Tobias was Tris's only client today. The coloring was supposed to be finished by closing time, and that meant it would have taken her from five to nine. That was a lot of work she was canceling, but Tori assured her Tobias would understand completely.

Tori didn't have any clients today. It _was_ a Wednesday, after all. She would leave at noon, like always, and head straight over to Tris's, usually.

But Tris wanted the place open as long as _she_ ' _d_ have it open. She felt horrible asking Tori to do that, Tori knew, but Tori said she would. And not because Tris was her boss and she didn't have a choice.

No, other than wanting to make Tris feel better, Tori had an ulterior motive. One that wouldn't come in until five o'clock.

Although a selfish part of her wished he'd show up earlier again.

At four, she wasn't disappointed. Of course, Tobias noticed something was up right away. He glanced into Tris workstation before coming into Tori's with a confused smile.

"Hey, Tori. Is Tris around?" It was the way he asked where she was, not an inquiry as to whether or not she was actually here. Of course she was… right? But when Tori shook her head sadly, Tobias's heart sank. Was she okay? "Where is she?"

Tori opened up her computer again and turned it around, gesturing for him to sit down so he could read. He did so, confused and intrigued but mainly concerned.

He felt his face heat up as he read the words, felt his hands clench into fists. " _An unprofessional atmosphere?"_ he took in the criticism, " _A shaky-handed, unstable owner?"_ _What the_ fuck _is wrong with these people?_

And then he scrolled to the top of the screen. Read the name of the author. _Albert Finch_. His fists clenched tighter, and he could almost feel blood where his nails dug into his palms as he stood. _Al_.

"So… Tris called out sick. For the first time in three years." Tori sighed. Tobias could hear her voice, but he was only half-comprehending what she was saying. How could someone do this to her? After everything she'd done for that lowlife, he went around and burned her out of what... _jealousy_? It made Tobias sick, made his knuckles ache to be pounded against this guy's head…

"Tobias," he heard his name, firmly stated, and it brought him slightly back to reality. He turned his head in the direction of Tori, but he couldn't see around his blinding fury. "I need you to do something for me. For Tris."

That got his attention, and he tried his best to focus as he forced his hands to his sides. They were still clenched, but he gritted his teeth and listened. He needed to be there for her.

Tori handed him two slips of paper and a bottle of wine. "This is a coupon to White Castle. Get _two_ Crave Cases of cheese sliders," she started, pointing to the smaller paper. It had a yellow and white castle on it. Tobias lifted an eyebrow. Was she really thinking about food right now? And _sixty_ burgers?

Then she pointed to the wine. "This is Cabernet Sauvignon, Tris's go-to cheer-up wine." Tobias's eyes widened. Was this going where he thought it was…?

"And _this_ ," Tori smiled gently, pointing to the last item, "is Tris's address."

Tobias swallowed. He was going to Tris's _house_. And she didn't know he was coming…

"Are you sure this is a good-" but Tori cut him off with a stern look.

"Look, man, I'd be over there now with this stuff if she hadn't insisted on keeping the shop open. She's stubborn as all hell, but I don't believe she deserves to be suffering alone, taking naps on that dog of hers, do you?" Tobias shook his head, barely able to do that at Tori's harsh tone. "Good. Now scram."

His Buick was parked around the block, so he had to walk a bit to get there. He got strange looks on his way, people eyeing the bottle in his hand, but he kept going. He was on a mission.

White Castle was forty minutes away from the city, but he didn't mind driving all the way there if it was to help Tris. He ignored the part of him that wanted to find Al and beat him to a bloody pulp, at least for now. Tris needed him.

He figured she wasn't doing too well. This was one of her main insecurities, after all, and Al had been someone she trusted, at least a little bit. The image of her at his second session flashed through his head, of her curled up on Poe, holding on for life. She'd seemed so upset that day, so weighed down by the world's worries, and his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter at the thought. He didn't want to think of her so...lost.

When he reached her house, he admired it from outside. It was small, but it was bold, standing out among the ones around it. There was only one floor, but the siding was a vibrant blue color, purple flowers sprouting outside the windows. They were wild, he could tell, but they fit the place.

Tobias walked to the door, following the little stone path leading to it, but when he lifted his hand to knock, he hesitated. If she was sleeping, he didn't want to wake her. And if she was too upset to answer the door, how would he get in?

He was pulled from his thoughts by Poe coming to greet him. He came around from the back, so he figured there must be a door there, too, one he could get in and out through, but he waved away the thought. Breaking and entering was not the right way to do this.

Tobias crouched down to rub his ears, setting the wine and burger cases on the pavement before doing so. Poe's eyes were tired, and it made Tobias wonder if he'd just gotten up from a nap with Tris.

"Hey, Poe," he said quietly, "I have something for Tris." He gestured to the items beside him, and Poe's ears perked up a bit as he sniffed around the burgers.

 _You did good,_ his eyes said, and Tobias felt a moment of triumph, though he knew it was irrational. He stayed around a moment longer before lumbering toward the back again.

It was hot today, Tobias abruptly realized. Probably eighty-three, considering it was evening in June, and he was borderline sweating in his black t-shirt and dark jeans. But there were more important things to think about, he thought bitterly, letting himself sit fully on the porch and dropping his head into his hands. He was sure he looked insane there, but he didn't know what else to do. The most important person to him, the most amazing one he'd ever met, was quietly suffering inside of this house, and he couldn't get to her.

Poe nudged Tris with his nose, pressing it against her hand, then when she didn't respond, her face. She pushed him away, groaning. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying in vain to forget the world, forget herself. Forget whose appointment she was missing right now…

And then Poe barked. It was a low, rough sound, and it sprung Tris out of her curled position on the couch. She stared at her dog with wide eyes. He _never_ barked. "What do you want?" she snapped, quickly growing tired again. Perhaps if she went to sleep now, she could never wake up…

His beady eyes told her she better get her ass up, or he would keep barking, even though he _knew_ she had a migraine.

She stood. The movement made her body ache. Her eyes followed Poe to the front door, and then her body did when he sat down there, waiting. She figured the mailman had delivered a package or something, perhaps the new shipment of temporary tattoo paper she'd ordered, but when she opened the door and was assaulted by light, she saw a man sitting on her porch, not a box.

Tobias flinched back at the sound of the door opening, startled. His gaze was met with slender, bare legs, and it moved up to meet Tris's squinty, confused eyes. He tried to ignore the length of her pajama shorts, the section of her stomach visible beneath her shirt's hem.

Her eyes met Tobias's, and she was suddenly aware of how she looked. She was sure her hair was wild, tangled ferociously around her head from when she was rolling in her sleep. There was a heaviness around her eyes that let her know they were lined in purple rings. _Nightmares are a bitch…_

And then there was the damn sun, that was shining directly on her, even in its low position above the horizon, and her skin was practically transparent in the brightness. She felt pale and small and horrible and self-conscious, and she wanted to yell at this man, this beautiful human being who was here for _her_ , but she was too tired and too relieved to push him away. Yes, she wasn't good enough for him, and she'd wasted his time today by suddenly canceling, but he was here, and her mistakes didn't seem to matter as he grinned at her.

Tobias stood quickly, grabbing the wine and burgers and holding them up for her to see. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms when he saw the redness around her eyes that let him know she'd been having trouble sleeping again, but he simply stood and smiled, hoping she'd accept his offer.

Tris stepped out of the way, letting him into her home. It was clean, eerily so, and she was suddenly nervous. What would he think of her like this? Impulsively cleaning to ease the stress, weak and tired, _shaky-handed and unstable_ …

"What are you doing here?" she croaked, but she already knew the answer. The White Castles and wine in his hands told her everything she needed to know. Tori.

But Tobias walked further into her home, gently placing the offerings on the bar between her kitchen and dining room. When he turned around, his smile softened. She was upset, that was obvious, but he couldn't help but notice her stance. Her shoulders were slightly squared, and her arms crossed. Trying to be strong, despite everything, and it was breathtaking.

Tobias didn't answer her. She wondered what he was thinking, staring at her like this. He didn't speak, but he moved toward her, and before she knew what was happening, his arms were locked around her, her cheek pressed against his firm chest. _Jesus._

His entire body was on fire at the feel of hers pressed against him, and he tightened his grip on her. He wanted her to know that despite what he'd brought with him, he wasn't here just because Tori had asked him to be. He was here because of _her_ and because of the person _she_ is, and he didn't give a shit what Al said because she was beautiful and amazing.

Tris's heart was racing, and her head was swimming, since she'd never been this close to a man before, but it felt _good_ and it felt _safe_ , and she relaxed into his embrace, allowing herself to feel for the first time this morning.

Tobias could hear her shaky breaths, her body wracking with the tears he now knew were falling from her eyes. His heart fluttered a little, both from the pain he felt seeing her cry, and from the relief he felt at having her trust him like this. It lifted a weight from his chest, which caused him to feel slightly light-headed, so he led them to her couch. It was big and black, taking up much of the living room, and he was grateful for the room. He sat down on the end, outstretching his legs across the length of it, Tris between them. She was still crying.

Tris wasn't sure what she was feeling, only that she was overwhelmed by emotion and appreciation, and she held on to Tobias tightly, trying to ground herself to reality.

 _ **Ahhh so many feels XD Oh yeah, make sure you check out the author note from the last chapter, since I haven't really gotten responses to it (Thanks, WeirdMal), and I kind of need to know your opinions O_O Anyway, thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey guys! I think I've decided to just keep on doing filler chapters and building up their relationship, and then I'll stop whenever I feel like it XD Here's the next chapter; hope you enjoy!**_

Tris woke up cold and alone. She panicked for a split second, wondering if Tobias had finally realized how weak and pathetic she was, but when she sat up her eyes adjusted to the low light of her house, she could see him sitting at her dining room table, eating a slider.

She felt drained, but light. That was the first undisturbed sleep she'd had in months, and it felt indescribably good. She wondered how he'd managed to make her nightmares go away, but her mind clouded as he lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You better get your ass up if you were planning on eating any of these," he said seriously, reaching for another burger. "I'm not holding back on your account."

Her mouth curled into a scowl as she stood. "So Tori made you bring my comfort food," she started flatly, pulling out the chair across from him and grabbing a slider, "in exchange for you getting to eat it. I see how it is."

Tobias laughed at that, glad she was feeling better. Although, there was a part of him that was still concerned she thought he was only here because he had to be. But she seemed happy now, lighter, more like herself, so he didn't mind much. She'd slept soundly for over two hours, to the point where he'd had to pry her from him in order to search her house for a bathroom.

When he returned, she was too peaceful to disturb. So he grabbed the sliders and put them in the microwave, re-heating them and waiting for her to wake up. He figured it would be awkward, alone in her house, but the space was cozy and very much like Tris, and he didn't notice the discomfort.

"Well, when you're asleep for two hours, what's a starving man to do? Let all sixty of these go to waste?" He shook his head, as if the very idea of doing such a thing appalled him.

"Wake me up and ask for food. And _then_ if I _feel_ like you deserve it, I will give you _one_ slider," she shot back, as if that was obvious.

Tobias cracked first, chuckling as he stood and guessed which cabinet held wine glasses. He missed twice, but on the third try he was successful. "But you looked so peaceful," he told her, his voice softening a bit. He poured them both some wine and handed her a glass before returning to his seat. Her eyes were a greyish blue, content. He smiled. "You needed the sleep. And I feel better knowing you were able to get it without difficulty."

Tris felt her face flare, and she tried to hide it by taking a sip of her wine. It spread warmth down her throat. She couldn't help from mumbling, "First time in months…"

Tobias didn't miss her admission, and he also didn't miss the way blush crept to her face. She felt vulnerable right now, he could tell. He decided to not make her the only one. Although he knew what he wanted to say, he couldn't meet her eyes as he said, "I get nightmares almost every night."

Her eyes shot to his face at that. His gaze was far away, aimed somewhere to the left of her, and his lips held the ghost of a smile. She didn't know if he was just saying this to make her feel better, but she was thoroughly intrigued. _What could possibly frighten this amazing man?_

"Of my father. And my mother. She was no better than he was, I guess," he gave a bitter laugh as he gulped down the rest of his wine. This wasn't something he was particularly fond of talking about, and it hurt his mind to think of everything he'd gone through, hurt his pride, and suddenly he wished he had something harder than wine to numb the pain. But getting slammed here was probably not a good idea, so he clenched his fists and continued speaking, trying to open up to her.

"She left when I was a kid, ran away and left me with that asshole. He had control over me for so long... And then as soon as I turned eighteen, I went to the University of Chicago, where I'd gotten a full scholarship."

"A scholarship for what?" Tris interrupted. She was very fascinated by his story, by his strength in getting away from his family despite what they'd tried to make him do. And she was surprised that he'd gotten a free trip to school, although she wasn't sure why. She could tell from conversations they'd had that he was brilliant.

Tobias's eyes moved to hers, startled a bit by the intensity in them. She really wanted to know more about him, didn't she? It made him grin. "Computer analytics." He watched as her eyebrows rose, and she slowly puffed out air through her mouth.

 _Jesus_ , she thought. _He really_ is _brilliant, isn't he?_ "Fancy," she smirked. He laughed it off, as if it wasn't all that great an accomplishment.

"Not really. I mean, I've always been good with computers, I guess. But it's not like it's a big deal. There are _thousands_ of computer analysts in the world, I'm sure."

Tris leaned forward on her elbows and set her empty wine glass down. "But there are also _billions_ of people in the world. You're brilliant, you know that?" She was feeling brave again, that strange, powerful energy she only got around him.

Tobias felt red creep into his neck. Had she really just said that? What he'd accomplished was simple, minimal, and utterly unimportant, and yet she was looking at him like this, _admiring_ , and calling him brilliant.

Was this woman for real? He couldn't hold back his laughter. _She_ was the admirable one here, the brilliant one. How could she not see that.

Tris scowled at his laughter, feeling the bravery slowly dissipate. Was he mocking her?

"What's so funny?" she sneered, her eyes narrowed in skepticism. Tobias was confused for a moment before he realized she must've thought he was making fun of her or something.

He leaned forward, too, their faces about six inches apart, and he stared into her stormy eyes. "You don't even see how beautiful you are," he stated simply, a content smirk on his face. He could feel her breath fanning across his face this close to her, and he also felt the cease of air at his words.

Tris's face fell in shock, her cheeks burning. She wasn't sure of how to respond, only that no one had ever said anything like that to her before. She didn't believe the words, but something about the closeness of their faces, the warmth in his eyes, and his breaths hot across her mouth made her want to.

They stared for a minute, the tension rapidly increasing with each passing second. When she felt like she would completely melt under his intense ocean gaze, she abruptly pulled away.

Tobias was hurt at first, thinking she didn't want to be near him, but then he saw the panic behind her eyes. It was the same one he'd seen that day in the shop, when he'd made that comment about -

"How's your tattoo?" she blurted awkwardly. It was clear she was trying to mend the moment, trying to ease the tension, so Tobias allowed the shift of focus. He pulled back, too, slowly, and stood up.

"It's doing good, I think. Doesn't hurt anymore." With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned around, yanking off his shirt. He wasn't sure why he'd done it, since it wasn't exactly what she'd asked him to do, but he had a feeling she'd feel better seeing the ink. She'd always seemed more comfortable in her workstation than anywhere else (not that he'd seen her many other places), and he figured this would make her feel more at home, more like she was there.

Tris was relieved at the sight of his ink, of the work she'd done. She moved around the table to run her fingers across the design, not missing the way his muscles jumped under her touch. His skin burned her hand.

"There isn't any redness, which is good," she agreed. He had been faithful to reapplying the medicine, clearly.

"Yeah, it's ready for the next outline," he said lightly, turning around to face her. But he was alarmed to see her head down, her face guilty. It took him a moment, but he realized what the reason for her regret might be. "Hey," he said, not being able to help himself from cradling her cheek. She moved her eyes to his. "It's fine, you know? Today… it just means I can come back again." He grinned.

Tris allowed herself to smile, too, despite her racing heartbeat. Their bodies were very close, and she could _smell_ him. He was intoxicating. _Jesus._

Poe's entrance was what broke them apart. He almost never left the couch in the living room unless he had something to announce. His beady eyes met Tris, but she didn't have time to read his expression before there was a knock on the door.

She shot Poe a look, then Tobias an apologetic one, before moving to answer the door. _This_ had to be the mailman, right?

Tobias stepped around the corner of the dining room to see Tris at the door. Her expression shifted, and he stiffened.

Tris had the urge to slam the door again, to block out the pain, but her body was frozen in place by fury. He had the _audacity_ to be standing before her house, clad in a clean-cut blue suit, a smile on his face, and she wanted to punch him square in the nose.

 _Al._

 ** _Dun dun duuuuuunnnnnn XD Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! -Loopy_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hey guys! So, up to this point I've had lots of free time to write and stuff, so I've been trying to cram as many chapters as possible. That's to make up for the fact that updates from here on out may not come as often. I'm working at my church's VBS all week, and I'll have free time in the mornings, but next week I'm going on a mission trip, then the week after that I'm going to camp, and then my house will be chaotic as we all prepare for my sister's wedding. I'll probably spend the next couple of days writing as much as possible, and then saving those chapters to post when I don't have a chance to write. So just a warning, there probably won't be any more days filled with updates :( But I promise to keep writing this story, and to update at least twice a week unless I absolutely can't. Thank you so much for understanding!**_

 _ **This chapter is a bit short, since it's just finishing up this scene. Hope you enjoy it anyway! - Loopy**_

"Tris…" Tobias heard the man's voice, and though it sounded hatefully familiar, he couldn't quite put a face to it. He pushed away from the wall he was leaning against, opting to stand up tall, squaring his shoulders. Defensive by instinct.

Hearing her nickname come from this bastard's mouth made her stomach whirl. He had no right to come here this late and call her that, as if they were friends, as if they ever had been.

"Beatrice," she gritted out, automatically rejecting this man and all he stood for. Tobias had been able to distract her, but seeing Al here made her realize she wouldn't be able to forget any time soon, wouldn't be able to avoid how horrible a person she was…

She hated feeling like that, so out of control, and she _detested_ that this lowlife was able to make her feel that way.

Tobias couldn't see Tris's expression, but he could hear the hatred in her voice, see the way her hand on the door was slowly starting to tremble, and he abruptly understood who was standing in front of her right now, and he felt his blood begin to boil.

"Beatrice," Al tried again, sighing now as if this was so troubling to him. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I-"

But Tris wasn't in the doorway anymore. And the man in front of him was _huge_. Al's gaze traveled up his rippling biceps, which were flexed across his chest in a menacing way. He also noticed his lack of a shirt, which made him feel even worse about Tris.

Tobias fixed the hardest glare he could muster on this coward before him, this ignorant _thing_ who obviously was too selfish to even consider the existence of other people. He remained silent, and he felt a wave of satisfaction about the evident fear in Al's eyes. There were no words spoken, until Al was dumb enough to break the tense silence.

"Look, I'm here to speak to Tris-" Tobias took a step toward him, squaring his shoulders even more and puffing his chest out. He leaned in close to Albert's face, using every ounce of self control he had to keep his hands gripping his own arms instead of wrapping around this guy's throat.

"I don't give a _fuck_ why you're here." His words were quiet, slow. Intimidating.

Tris felt a shiver run down her spine. Not from fear, not at all. More surprise, more satisfaction. Something about seeing Tobias act like this on her behalf was…. _Jesus_.

But she could fight her own fights, and Tobias knew this, so he stepped aside without question when she came up next to him. Still, he couldn't keep his hand from pressing into the small of her back, claiming her, calming her. A jolt ran through his body at the contact, and it kept him level.

"Get out of here, Albert," she said flatly, back to her usual, brave self. Tobias was proud of her, acting confident and unaffected even though she was hurting on the inside. That was bravery.

He scowled at them both, his eyes gleaming with hurt, and when Poe came up beside them, huge and frowning, it convinced him to leave.

Tris slumped as his Mercedes left her driveway. That was more exhausting than anything else she'd ever gone through, and that was saying something. Tobias supported her weight, his expression softening despite the anger still coursing through him. Being alone with Tris again had an almost instant effect, though, and he felt himself returning to normal. He was supposed to be here for her, after all, and the cold, cruel Tobias was _not_ going to help.

Poe sauntered back inside as soon as he could, heading straight for the couch. Once he was settled there, Tobias sighed. Tris was obviously tired, and he wanted her to be able to sleep as peacefully as she had earlier, as she had at the shop all those weeks ago. But now he didn't have anywhere to lay her down.

Tris forced herself away from Tobias to put away the burgers and wine. They _had_ made her feel better, as his presence had, but she was too tired now to think much about it. Plus, she was starting to become aware of how often she stared at Tobias, how frequently she craved his touch. And she needed to get herself under control. The few seconds of alone time would be enough to clear her head.

But the lack of his presence, even if he was just in the other room, made her feel worse.

Tobias moved to lean against the opening that led to the kitchen. He watched Tris's precise movements, the way she easily moved around the room. She was clear, confident, beautiful. And she was distracted. He glanced at the watch around his wrist, and with the movement realized he was still shirtless. As he moved past her to grab his shirt, he hoped he hadn't been making her uncomfortable.

He finished checking the time. _Shit…_ He'd been here for three and a half hours; it was nearly eight-thirty. Of course she was distracted.

Tris had finished putting everything away, and she simply watched Tobias. He slid his shirt over his head and checked his watch; she wondered vaguely what time it was. She hadn't looked at a clock all day.

Tobias lifted his sapphire eyes to meet hers. Her breath caught at their intensity. "I should probably get going," he said slowly, and she felt a sudden, harsh, completely irrational surge of fear pulse through her body. She stepped toward him and spoke, almost desperately.

"Stay here." She placed her hand on his forearm, and it flinched under her touch. He stared at her skin against his, eventually processed her words, and swallowed, his gaze slowly drifting back up to hers.

How could he say no to that?

He picked her up, scooped her into his arms, laughing as she squealed, startled. She watched the path ahead of them with wide eyes, pointing him in the direction of her bedroom as he asked her.

Her room was a light blue color, as the rest of the walls in the house seemed to be. But instead of the off-white carpet he'd been walking across, he was now standing on a dark blue checkered one. There weren't many things in the room. Bed in the back left corner, couch on the bottom right - he assumed that was Poe's - desk in back right, dresser to his left.

There was a panic flushing through Tris. When she'd asked him to stay, she hadn't meant to imply _that_ , but he was carrying her to her bed, and she didn't know what to do, so she fearfully stayed quiet.

But Tobias laid her down gently on her pillows, pulling her purple covers over her. She should have known he wouldn't do anything she wasn't comfortable with. He'd been nothing but a gentleman this entire time, hadn't he? Cheering her up and feeding her and letting her rest and not minding that she'd bailed on his appointment, even though she knew he had to take off work for that. She wasn't entirely sure what he did for a living, since he didn't talk about it much, but she now guessed it had something to do with computers.

The moment her body was splayed out and relaxed, she felt the exhaustion come rushing back. It was an effort to keep her eyes open long enough to see him crawl into the other side of her bed.

Tobias could feel the heat radiating off of her body, even though he wasn't touching her. He simply lie there on his side, watching her eyes slowly drifting closed. "Tobias…" she whispered, almost a protest, but he quietly shushed her.

"Sleep, Tris. It's okay. I'll fight off the nightmares if they come."

Tris couldn't help her tired grin at that, even though her eyes were now closed. She never told him she'd been having nightmares. He just knew. "With what?" Her voice was scratchy, half-asleep.

Tobias grinned, too, even though Tris couldn't see him. "My bare hands, obviously."

And his smile stayed there, as Tris's arm moved to wrap around his waist, and she pulled herself into his side, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder, and he allowed sleep to consume him, too.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hey, guys! I've been super swamped with work for VBS this past couple of days, and I haven't had much time for writing between everything I need to do with that, so this chapter was written in every exhausted free moment I had XD Tonight was super stressful, since our oldest group of kids decided it would be funny to completely trash the bathrooms of our church and stuff the toilets full of balloons, and our youth director just laughed when we told him... Geez you would not understand the headache I have right now... Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think! Reviews always cheer me up :) - Loopy**_

Work the next morning was excruciatingly normal. He hadn't realized how simple his job was, how plain his office and cubicle were, how easy his schedule was to follow. He had only just taken part in everything, doing what the bosses told him. He enjoyed what he did, don't get him wrong, but after he met Tris and saw how hard she worked just to prove herself and to stand out, his computer systems analyst position seemed very inferior.

"Hey, dude. What's with the grin?" Zeke sprawled himself into the client chair across from Tobias's desk, a smile of his own painted across his face. He'd worked with Tobias for four years, both of them starting the year they turned twenty-one. Zeke had already crossed that line, but Tobias hit the mark halfway through the year, on a day he was working. When Zeke found out, he took him out after their shift, watching in amusement as he downed his first legal beer. They'd been friends ever since.

Tobias frowned a bit. He hadn't even realize he'd been smiling, since he was thinking about how boring his job was, but he supposed once he hit thoughts of Tris, memories of last night came swirling back, of her body curled up next to his, her arm around his waist and his under her head.

Zeke laughed at his friend's attempt to smother the smile. It had crept its way onto his face again. His hand came down on Tobias's back, clapping his shoulder companionably. "You've been all smiles all morning," he acknowledged. Tobias was a kind man, a fun man, but he was too serious for his own good. And yet something had made him like this. "So what is it? Did you _finally_ get laid last night?" He'd known Tobias a while, and hadn't seen him show any interest in a girl, even the ones Zeke had forced him on dates with.

Tobias's eyes widened at Zeke's words. He was a good man, but he didn't really know Tobias, did he? To think he would just hook up with someone he didn't care about?

But… he had been with _Tris_ last night… hadn't he? And he _did_ care about her. _That's_ why he was smiling. Because he'd held her in his arms as he fell asleep. Because he'd been holding her when he woke up.

But they weren't _together_. They were just friends. And the idea that he would… Tris didn't want that. That much was clear by the fear mixed in with the gratitude in her eyes yesterday. She wasn't ready for that yet, so he wasn't either. End of story.

"Whoa, man, I was just kidding…" Zeke's voice dragged him from his reverie. He didn't know what his expression read right now, but he imagined it was somewhere between deep thought and desperation. Zeke sighed, but he was still smiling. He was always smiling.

Tobias's reaction had been so genuine, so shocked, Zeke knew it _had_ to be a girl. Even if they hadn't slept together yet, Tobias was _finally_ into someone. He'd noticed this past couple of months that his behavior had changed. He seemed more bored as he worked, but lighter overall. And some days he showed nothing but a grin, constantly cracking jokes. Those days were weeks apart, and Zeke was beginning to notice a correlation between them and the days Tobias left work early…

But Tobias was clearly uncomfortable with talking about this right now, so Zeke shifted subjects, smoothly easing over the awkwardness. "Hey, did you finish up the Dauntless site processing? Will wants the status on their current programs by the end of today."

Tobias nodded, trying to get himself to focus on his job. "Yeah, I'm just finishing it up. Looks like we'll have a lot to research with this one," he smirked. Zeke threw his head back and let out a groan.

"Seriously?" he whined, not really wanting to go overtime. With a wife at home and a child on the way, he didn't have time to spare. It was a miracle he was even here at all, since the minute he'd found out Shauna was pregnant, he decided he would take off work the entire nine months to take care of her. But she protested, insisting that she would be fine, that she had complete control over everything.

Tobias let out a laugh at his friend's obvious distaste at the news. "I know. For a security agency, they don't have very recent technology. They'll need one hell of an upgrade," he observed, though him and Zeke wouldn't have to come up with those upgrades themselves. They just had to figure out what kind of technology would be best for the company's purposes, and then send that research off to the higher-ups to meet with the client and discuss possibilities.

Zeke's laugh didn't hold as much amusement, but he did flash a grin as he rose, figuring he should probably head back to his own cubicle. "So do we. Why do we work here again?" But the question was joking, rhetorical, and he didn't wait for a response before waving and heading out.

Tobias leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. His eyes fell on his desk's clock, and he sighed. He'd only been here two hours.

He remembered the note he'd put on Tris's refrigerator, and he selfishly hoped he'd use what he'd left her. Perhaps he wouldn't feel so alone.

Tris's bed was empty when her eyes opened. Again, she worried Tobias had left out of disgust, but the logical part of her brain knew he'd probably had to work today. It was a Thursday, after all. She had work today, too, she realized abruptly as she sat up and checked her clock. It was nine now, so she was officially late, but she didn't think Tori would mind too much. Still, she pulled herself out of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible, ran one hand through her hair as the other rushed to pour Poe some food. He was holding his goggles in his mouth once he came into the kitchen, and Tris sighed.

"I guess you can come with me today," she grumbled around the toothbrush now in her mouth as she shuffled around her house in search of her shoes. "I'll need you to keep me sane."

Tori wasn't surprised when Tris showed up with Poe fifteen minutes after opening. She figured she would be too tired to get up on time and too stubborn to stay home, and Poe was too protective to leave her alone after yesterday, so she greeted them with a nod from her office. The last thing her friend needed right now was to be reminded of yesterday's events.

But, as Tris disappeared into her office, there was one thing Tori remembered she'd wanted to ask…

Tris dug through her bag and pulled out the sketches she would need for this week. She only had one client today, a college girl just visiting here from London, and that design had already been decided on. It was a violin made out of a treble clef, and it was surrounded by a watercolor staff and some notes.

That would be at eleven and would probably take about three hours. Tris supposed they could open their door for walk-ins after that, but she had a client she'd missed out on having yesterday…

"Hey, Tris?" Tori's voice drew Tris's gaze to the entrance of her office. Her friend was leaning against the wall there, her almond eyes narrowed a bit in innocent curiosity. Tris raised her eyebrows in response, telling her to proceed. "Did… Tobias go to see you yesterday?"

Tris froze at the memory of his strong arms around her, his chest pressed under her cheek, his heartbeat fast against her skin…

And then she remembered why he'd gone there in the first place, and her body relaxed, raising a skeptical brow at Tori. "Yes, he did, actually. Somehow he knew my address. And my cheer-up food." Tori shrugged. Tris laughed, and her tone softened. "Thanks, Tori," she sighed.

Tori waved off the gratitude. "Just glad to have you back, boss." And with that, she went back to her office.

By two o'clock, Tris had finished and bandaged her only client, bidding her a good day. She stopped by Poe's corner and sat down beside him for a minute, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his fur. It was a nice comfort; all day she'd been feeling the insecurities slowly seeping back into her mind, memories of Al and mistakes and shaky hands and instability…

Poe sighed beneath her, and she moved to meet his eyes. His thoughts were obvious even before she saw them. _Call him_.

She stood shakily, reaching her office and pulling shut the curtain before digging into her pocket for the note she'd found on her fridge this morning.

 _Had to work. Sucks to leave, but Poe's kept me company. Thanks for sleeping, and for letting me stay. Call if you need anything. - Tobias_

A mobile number had been scrawled beneath that in the same neat handwriting. She stared at it now, taking out her phone, too. Her fingers shook as she typed in his contact and saved it before dialling.

"Tobias Eaton," he answered, his voice serious and expectant. She smiled at the sound, every trace of self-hatred somehow vanishing. She could hear his breathing on the other end, and she wondered if it was weird that she found it comforting.

"Hello?" Tris shook her head a bit. She hadn't said anything. _Stupid_.

"Hey!" Her voice was too eager. She shook her head again. Cleared her throat. "Hey," she mended, "it's -"

"Tris." She could hear the smile in his voice, too. It made her relax.

Her head nodded, and then she remembered he couldn't see her, so she spoke. "Yeah. Hey, what time do you get off?"

Tobias's head swam. Tris _had_ followed his suggestion, and she probably had no idea how much she was improving his day. He'd only just now finished the site processing, having faced many small, stressful difficulties along the way. Zeke eased the tension a bit with his over-the-cubicle-wall comments, but he could only do so much. "Whenever you need me to." And it was true - Will had given him permission to go as soon as he'd finished the analysis.

Tris's brow furrowed. "Don't get too excited," she deadpanned. "I was just letting you know I don't have any more clients today, if you wanted to get yours colored in."

Tobias's grin widened. He shut his laptop, unplugged his phone charger and shoved it into his bag. "I'll be there in twenty."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter was unexpected, and I wasn't even intending for it to be so long, but it just kind of wrote itself :) The ending wasn't supposed to happen, but then it did, and I didn't want to change it, so I hope you'll enjoy it! Be sure to let me know what you think! - Loopy**_

Poe was even closer to Tobias. Tris had raised him since he'd been four weeks old, and they'd spent almost every moment together. She took care of him, and he supported her. They kept each other level. And now, there was someone else carrying her burdens. Someone else willing to help even things out. Poe was grateful for the help.

Tris could see the fondness in his shiny eyes as he placed his head in Tobias lap. It made her grin, although she could feel it was bittersweet. This was his last official appointment. She'd color in the remaining space, completely cover up the scars, and then she wouldn't have anything to look forward to. No freedom of expression, of imagination.

But she _was_ excited to show him the design. She'd been skeptical when he told her he hadn't looked at it yet, but he was so adamant about it that she finally relented. He seemed to be telling the truth, and something about having so much of his trust made her feel warm inside, worthwhile. After what he'd told her about his childhood, it was clear trust wasn't an easy thing for him. And she was honored to have earned it.

"You ready? Or are you more interested in my dog than in me?" Tris realized how that sounded as Tobias turned toward her and grinned, raising an eyebrow. Her face flared as she scowled. "You know what I mean. Get your ass in here."

Tobias rose slowly from his seat, gently nudging Poe away. He admitted he enjoyed the dog's affection, especially since Tris had mentioned he didn't take kindly to strangers. But ever since Tobias had gone over to her house to cheer her up yesterday, Poe was around him when he could be. That next morning, Tobias had quietly gotten up at five so he could leave and get ready for work, and Poe had seen him to the door, despite his obvious exhaustion. It was like he was saying "thank you."

"Thanks for saving me," he said nonchalantly, pulling his shirt over his head. "Work was a bitch today."

Tris smiled as she got out her equipment. "Thanks for coming in. I felt bad about missing your appointment yesterday." She really did. She hated when clients were no-shows, and that's exactly what she'd done to Tobias. It wasn't fair.

"I didn't," Tobias deadpanned. He grinned at Tris's surprised face, and he decided he wouldn't lie down until the very last second, so he could watch her. "If you'd been here, I wouldn't have gotten White Castle."

Tris scowled. "You're a dick." A bark of laughter left Tobias's mouth, and Tris gestured she was ready for him to lie down.

"That all depends," he teased, his eyes shining with mirth, "on what you put on my back."

Tris's laugh made his smile widen, and he made a promise to himself in that moment that he would do what he'd been wanting to since he'd stepped foot in this shop.

They sat for two hours, Tobias cracking jokes and Tris shooting them down, both of them laughing as the scent of ink wafted around them. By the end of those hours, Tris started to slow down her work. She didn't even realize she was doing it until Tobias commented on it.

Her face flared. "Just doing finishing touches. It requires a steadier hand."

Tobias didn't believe that entirely, since the words had been so rushed, and a bit defensive. But he didn't question her again.

If she was honest with herself, she knew she was trying to draw this out as much as she could, since this would be the last time she'd see him, the last time he'd smile at her like this…

A lot could happen in two months. He could forget about her. Get a girlfriend…

She slowly lifted her foot from the pedal to halt the needle's motions and looked over Tobias's back. There weren't any more scars visible, and she was glad to have been able to help him move on from the past.

"Okay, Tobias." Her voice was soft. "You're finished." Tobias turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were more grey than blue, and he wondered if she was a disappointed as he was that their time together was coming to an end.

Tris took off her gloves and wrapped her hands around Tobias's arms, helping him up. It was meant to lessen the pain of moving, but now that she felt the electricity flowing between them, she wasn't so sure she only did it for him.

When she was about to move her hand from his arm, his hand came up to cover it. He winced a bit, as if he needed her to continue balancing him, but he was smirking, and she felt her face flush as she led him to the mirror.

Tobias couldn't hold back his awe when she handed him a handheld mirror so he could see his back. There were five circles as the center points, arranged in a pentagon around his spine, two hands reaching toward each other at the base of his neck. Each circle was surrounded by grey shading, light enough to contrast the darkness of the symbols but dark enough to cover any traces of Marcus. The rest of his back was covered in a combination of thick and thin black lines, and areas of bold solid color.

Tris moved from foot to foot as she awaited his reaction. She couldn't see his face from where she was standing, couldn't see his expression. But she was fully prepared to offer him a full refund if he didn't like it, even if that wasn't something she really did here, especially if she'd only done what was asked for her.

Tris had replaced Tobias's past with something wonderful, something her. These symbols were the same ones in her shop's logo, and though he didn't know exactly what they meant, he was beyond grateful for their place in his life. Even though it was a bit crazy, and it didn't make much sense, he didn't have a single ounce of regret inside of him, no desire to get rid of this tattoo. Marcus was gone, Tris had gotten rid of him, and he had never felt more loved in all of his life.

He moved so quickly Tris didn't respond at first. Her arms were pinned against his chest, his arms clutching her tightly to him. Her face reddened further as she contemplated what to do. Tobias didn't let her go. "I guess you like it?" she laughed awkwardly, not uncomfortable, but not knowing what to do. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, too, but his back was sensitive. It would be bad to touch it like that.

Tobias laughed, too, taking a deep inhale of her scent as he pulled his face out of her neck. She smelled _so_ good. He kept his hands clutching her upper arms as he leaned away a bit. He grinned at her, and the smile reached his eyes.

His expression took her breath away. _Jesus._

"I love it," he muttered, laughing again and turning back to the mirror, "Thank you so much, Tris. I love it."

She trailed her fingers lightly down his spine, in the area she hadn't just worked in. She couldn't help herself. "Do you want to know what it means?" she asked softly. His ocean eyes met hers, and he nodded.

Tobias let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as her hand moved delicately toward the first of the symbols. Her touch was intoxicating. "Selflessness," her hand trailed down and to the left, over an eye, "Intelligence," down to a scale, "Honesty," a tree, and he shivered again, "Kindness," her voice was getting softer. She reached the last one and flattened her hand against him tentatively. He swallowed. "Bravery.

"They're virtues that I wanted to have, that I needed once I left home. I got out as soon as I could."

Tobias wondered briefly if she'd had to go through what he had, but he casted that away. She wouldn't have let someone do that to her. She wasn't as cowardly as him. "Why? I mean, why did you need to leave?"

Tris's brow furrowed. Did she really want to explain this to him? To risk him finding her even weaker than he surely already knew she was?

 _Of course. He opened up to me._

She led him back to the bed and sat down. He placed himself beside her, watching her curiously. She sighed as she contemplated where to begin. "I've always been...different, you know?"

Tobias's brow furrowed. He _did_ know. She was more amazing, more extraordinary than anyone he'd ever met. But he let her continue.

"Through middle school I was bullied. Mostly verbal through sixth and seventh grade, but once I was in eighth, it turned more physical." Her whole body ached at the memory. She'd been so determined after that to become a better person, a stronger one, and she explained that to Tobias. "I started taking self-defense classes in ninth grade. People left me alone after that, but they'd left me in severe depression. It was rough.

"My parents didn't really know what to do. I stopped eating, stopped sleeping. I started cutting my arms with scissors…" her eyes fell to the tattoo she had along her right wrist. She'd thought of getting a tattoo to symbolize her transition into her current self after she'd already gotten the pokeball. So she wasn't able to mark the arm she'd once destroyed, but the meaning was still as strong.

Tobias noticed her eyes drift to her right wrist. He'd noticed before that she had a design there, too, but he'd never asked her about it. She seemed more the type to open up once she was ready, much like him.

"Anyway, my mom tried to help. She tried talking to me, asking me what was wrong, but I didn't speak. I didn't know what was wrong.

"My father had a different approach. He forced me to eat, scolded me for being selfish and hurting my mother like I apparently was. But it just dug the knife in deeper." She refused to cry. This was the past; it had no control over her now. She wouldn't let it.

"After my mother passed away my junior year, my dad became helpless. He took me to the hospital once he'd noticed the cuts along my arm, and I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety."

Tobias scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm over her shoulders. She was grateful for the support, for the fact he was still here, and she leaned into him. "And then I spent the rest of my high school career in and out of a psych hospital, where my dad would throw me whenever he didn't know what to do. Which happened a lot."

A new surge of hatred fired through him, not at his father, but at hers.

"So the second I turned eighteen, even though I had no money and was very unstable, I left home. My older brother, Caleb, drove me to Illinois that night." A small smile lifted on her face at the memory. It had been an exhausting drive, and the next couple of months had been hell as she struggled to find a job and keep her self-hatred under control.

"Why Illinois?" Tobias was smiling, too. She didn't think he realized how much he was helping her through this. Her smile widened.

Tris shrugged. "I'd always wanted to ride the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier." Tobias looked at her incredulously.

"Seriously?" he scoffed. He couldn't imagine why anyone would choose to put herself that far above the ground, but he grinned at the way her eyes were turning blue again.

She laughed at his expression, nodding slightly and nudging his shoulder companionably. "Yeah. I was a weird kid. I never actually made it there, though." Tobias made a promise to himself that he would take her there, even if it was the last thing he did.

"Anyway, I worked at a few coffee shops and video game stores until I had enough money to take some art classes. That's where I met Tori. We kept taking classes together until I decided to open up a tattoo shop."

Tobias smiled at the way her eyes lit up at the memory. She looked at him with a soft expression. "That's the day I found Poe. In the streets. He'd been hit by a car and just left there on the street." Tobias's arm tightened around her. This was obviously painful for her, but he was so overwhelmed with awe at her strength, at the way she worked through all of that and came out better because of it.

His voice spoke before his mind thought. "Come to dinner with me." His eyes widened, and her body froze in his embrace, but the words were out there and it was relieving and terrifying and he waited for her response.

He mind swam. Did he mean… as a date? Surely not, after everything she'd just told him. Surely this was out of pity, out of wanting to comfort her. Her brow furrowed.

Tobias could see her mouth slowly curving into a frown, and he realized what she was thinking. She'd just told him her backstory, her painful past, and now he was holding her and telling her to get food with him. He shook his head. "I've been wanting to ask you since I met you. But, I mean, we don't have to-"

His words were cut off by her lips on his cheek. She was so grateful for him here with her. "I'd love to, Tobias." She stood and grabbed the medicinal lotion from her work table, suddenly remembering his tattoo and the fact that it was probably stinging like hell right now. She gave him a shiteating look. "But not today. I work, you know. And I can't just leave whenever I want, unlike _some_ people."

And just like that, they were back to their normal routine. Tobias scoffed. "Don't you _own_ the place, Ms. Prior?"

Her nose scrunched at the sound of such a formal moniker, and it made him grin. "Shut up, Tobias. I'm just making an excuse to go home and take a nap. Jesus. Don't you know me at all?"

He laughed again as he rose and turned his back to her. The lotion sent a relief through his body, but her hands rubbing it in had more of an effect. "I guess not. That's why I want to take you out. On a date. I want to know everything about you, Tris Prior." His voice was sincere, and it spread warmth through her body.

"Well, the first thing you should know is that I prefer 'Beatrice' on special occasions." It was obviously a sarcastic comment, her voice deadpan, but Tobias stood up a bit straighter and nodded a bit.

"Duly noted, Beatrice. So you'll go on a date with me? Where do you want to go? What do you like to eat?" Tris chuckled at his eagerness. That was cute.

"Well," she thought. There really weren't _places_ she went to get food. White Castle was about it. Besides that, she mainly stuck to Ramen noodles and Hot Pockets. "I like burgers." She shrugged.

Tobias laughed heartily at that. He remembered her comfort food, and then yesterday, and then his arms wrapped around her, and he turned around despite her not being finished with the bandages. "Tobias, I'm not-" Tris protested, but he cut her off, pressing his mouth firmly to hers. It was unexpected for both of them, and he pulled away quickly, and they both just stared.

 _Shit,_ he thought. _What the_ fuck _is wrong with me?_ It had felt amazing, despite its length. But it was an impulsive move. He'd thought about this a lot these past couple of days, about how he'd ask her out, how he'd maybe try to kiss her at the end of their first date if she seemed to be enjoying herself.

He lost all thought when he was around her.

They stayed perfectly still for a moment, just staring into each other's eyes. Tris noticed a lighter speck of blue in his left eye. Had he really just done that?

She didn't know so much energy could pass between people. It was incredible. Intoxicating.

Addictive. Her hand placed itself on his cheek, marvelling at its smoothness, and then she was leaning in, and so was he, and their lips were pressing together in a moment so intense, they couldn't help but grin. _This_ was what freedom was like.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter :) I don't feel as great about this one as I have about some of the others, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Be sure to let me know what you think :) - Loopy**_

Poe had never been so active. Tris wondered if he was feeling well, if he was sick or something, since she'd never seen him move with such purpose. His nose was a bit higher in the air than usual, his eyes shining with judgement as she tried on outfit after outfit.

He'd just casted out one of Tris's favorites, and she'd had enough. She threw up her arms, exasperated. "Well, what do _you_ suggest?" she shouted at him. To her surprise, he stood from where he'd been sitting, walked into her closet with her, and stood underneath a shirt that was hanging up.

Tris scowled at him. "So, you've been thinking more _casual_ this whole goddamn time, and you didn't feel the need to _tell_ me?" she grumbled, but she marched forward and yanked the shirt from its hanger, throwing it over her head and pulling it down on top of her black camisole.

Poe let out a low growl, and it took her a second to realize it wasn't in response to what she'd said to him. She shot him an incredulous look. "You don't want straps showing." She stared at him, and he stared back, and it was everything inside of her not to shove him out of her closet, but he was just trying to help, and she knew that, so she let out a frustrated sigh and began pulling off the undershirt and reaching for a bandeau bra.

In the end, she was dressed in a flowy black-and-white striped top that fell off both of her shoulders, dark wash skinny jeans with rips up the front, and black combat boots. It was pretty much like what she wore every day, only this top showed off more of her tattoos. That was a smart decision, she had to admit grudgingly, since the designs usually were good at starting conversations with Tobias. He'd only asked about her collarbone design, and her left wrist was pretty self-explanatory. Now he'd see her bravery symbol on her right shoulder, and the selfless one on her left. The back of her right shoulder was covered in a black and red floral pattern that fell diagonally across her back. It started around her symbol, giving it the effect of it growing out of it. She had more, but these were the ones currently exposed.

She checked her clock as she struggled to tame her hair. He would be here in twenty minutes, and she still looked like a mess. There was a new kind of nervousness pulsing through her body, making her fingers shake. It was Tobias, and she knew she shouldn't be so worried. But she couldn't help it. She'd never been on a date before.

An annoyed groan burst through her mouth as her fingers continued to get tangled in her hair. She'd cut it herself a few months ago, a week or two before she'd met Tobias, and it was choppy and everywhere constantly. The longest pieces currently fell to her jawline, but it was so wild, it was hard to tell.

She gave up after five minutes and began brushing her teeth, instead. Poe sat beside her, pressing his head into her thigh. He could tell she was getting stressed, and he wanted her to calm down. Tobias would be here soon.

"I know," she said, spitting out the last of the toothpaste and rinsing off the brush. "I'm trying. Just… I'm nervous." She sighed as she crouched down to be eye level with her dog.

He pressed his nose to hers. _Don't be. He loves you as much as I do._ Tris shook her head and planted a kiss on his snout. He'd always been good at chasing away her nerves, almost as good as he was at getting on them. It was because he was always right, and she was too proud to admit that.

But she loved him, and she knew she'd be nowhere without him.

There was a knock on the door. Suddenly all of the tension that had been slowly unknotting itself from her stomach slammed back inside of her, making her wince a bit. She stayed still.

Poe rolled his eyes and walked to the door. _Someone_ had to be polite in this house.

Tobias took a deep breath as he watched her door. He hoped she wasn't having second thoughts, but she wasn't one to leave him hanging, even if she didn't want to go. God, he hoped she did.

Poe looked at him through the window beside the door, and he knew that was his cue to come in. He gave the dog a nervous smile upon entry, leaning down to rub behind his ears. His beady eyes seemed to be appraising him, his outfit, and he was suddenly very aware of how casually he dressed. Perhaps jeans hadn't been the best… He had no idea what he was doing.

And then Tris stumbled in, and Tobias's breath caught. She was turned away from him, seemingly trying to find something, and he was amazed at how beautiful she was. There were black and red roses trailing down her back, the selfless symbol slightly visible on her left shoulder. She never ceased to surprise him.

"Hey, Tobias," Tris called over her shoulder, digging around in search of her phone. She didn't use it much, since she really only had Tori as a friend, but she felt like she should probably have it when she wasn't home. In case there was a problem at the shop, though she doubted there would be. It was six o'clock on a Friday night, and it was the second time ever Tris had called off, but Tori seemed even less bothered by it this time, instead grinning and bidding her a fun time.

"Hi, Tris," he grinned. Tonight was going to be fun. He'd been nervous, but now that she's here, now that he's in her presence, he's certain this is right. Everything would be fine.

She turned around at the sound of his voice, struck by the happiness in his shining eyes. It made her blush, but she smiled, too. And then her brow furrowed. "Hey, could you call my phone? I seem to have misplaced it."

"Yeah, sure." Tobias went to his favorites in his contact list and tapped Tris's name.

Tris felt a vibration in her back pocket, and her eyes moved to Tobias's. They stared for a second, neither knowing quite how to respond, and then Tobias's arms were holding his stomach as he hunched over, his body trembling with silent laughter. Tris scowled at him, but she couldn't hold back her smile. She fell onto her couch with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry. I've just been super stressed today," she groaned, covering her now blushing face with her hands. Tobias pulled himself together and looked at her curiously. Had she been as nervous as he was about this?

Had his presence not calmed her like hers did him?

He forced himself to the couch beside her, shoving her hands in his pockets to keep them from touching her. His self-control seemed to be lacking when it came to her skin, and right now there was a lot of it showing.

"What's there to be stressed about?" Tobias tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, instead filling it with concern. He really did want to know why she was upset.

Tris felt her face redden even more. She was still hidden behind her hands, and she used the somewhat private space to gather her thoughts. He sounded hurt, and it made her feel even worse. How could she explain this? That she cared so much she didn't want to fuck everything up? That she didn't know how to handle giving up control in situations like this?

How much sense did that make?

The silence stretched, and Tobias was becoming distressed. _She doesn't like me. She only said yes out of pity._ But he wanted this, _really wanted_ this, so he forced his hands out of his jeans and gently pried her fingers away from her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut, like she didn't even want to look at him. It hurt more than he cared to admit.

Her face burned. He was looking at her now, could see her insecurities, could see her weakness, and she felt more vulnerable than she ever had.

But there was something about him that made her braver, too, and she opened her eyes. His searched them fiercely. She took a deep breath and smiled. It was small, but she tried to make it sincere. "I just don't understand…" she started.

Tobias didn't either. He let her finish. "...what's in it for you. This...whatever it is."

She'd almost said _relationship_ , but that's not really what it was, was it? They'd kissed, he'd asked her on a date, but that was it. Once he'd realize how weak she was, how fragile, he'd leave for sure, and that would kill her. He was the only person who seemed to understand her.

But she was small, insignificant, stubborn. He was gorgeous and intelligent and fun; what the hell was he doing here?

Tobias leaned away, his brow furrowed. _What the hell?_ He didn't know what she was talking about, or how to respond. She wasn't making any sense. "What's in it for me," he echoed, trying to understand it, to understand _her_. Something clicked with what she was saying, but it seemed so irrelevant to everything they'd been through. Surely she didn't mean…

He scowled. It made her chest ache. He _was_ pushing her away. She wasn't good enough, wasn't strong enough, wasn't enough… "What? Sex?" Her heart stopped. That wasn't what she'd been thinking, was it? But she realized abruptly, from the way her hands were shaking and her breathing uneven, that that must have been part of it. She didn't feel like she was enough for him, because she wasn't, but there was also the fear she'd developed from her father, the fear of losing control of a situation. And _that_ was part of her hesitation.

But it wasn't most of it. She was about to explain that, trying to find the words for him to understand, but he continued. "Because if that was all I wanted, you probably wouldn't be the first person I'd go to." Her stomach twisted painfully, and she pressed her hands there to steady herself. Of course not. He wouldn't want her. Nobody would. She wasn't good enough, and she never would be.

Poe stepped up to the couch and put himself between Tobias's and Tris's legs. It was obvious Tris was upset, and no matter how much he liked Tobias, he needed to get the hell out of here _now_. Tris was a self-conscious person, and this man had just managed to hit all of her insecurities in one conversation. He had the power to break her, since he knew her so well, and Poe sure as hell didn't want to see that kind of effect now.

"I think you should leave now…" Tris's voice was broken as she stood and turned away from him. Tobias stood, too, ready to argue, but then he noticed the warning in Poe's eyes, and he realized his mistake. Sex was never a reason to care about somebody, had never seemed appealing to him when he had no connections. So here, now, with this amazing, fascinating woman, he wanted to build those connections. Not _use her_.

But he'd made it seem like he wouldn't want her like that, which was far from true, and that was one of the only things Tris couldn't face. She didn't see herself as he saw her, and now he'd confirmed her long-held suspicions of not being good enough.

His voice was desperate as he reached out to her. She jerked away, but he kept his grip and turned her to face him. "I'm sorry. I meant that you aren't like that. And I'm not, either."

Tris wouldn't meet his eyes. His words bounced off her ears and fell in the silence between them. It was hard to shake the thoughts she'd had since high school, even with Tobias trying to free her. She was a slave to her insecurities.

"Tris." His voice was soft. She was obviously facing her demons right now, and Tobias hated himself for doing that to her. Yesterday had been so wonderful, and the day before, and now, he may have lost her…

But he refused to give up. He placed his hand on her cheek, and her brow furrowed, a tear slipping down her cheek. It made his heart hurt. "Tris, I'm not here because I want anything from you. I'm here because you're beautiful, you're strong, you're brilliant. You're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you. Because you're worth it, okay? Because I believe you are enough, more than enough. You just are. Don't ever doubt that." He wanted her to see herself as he saw her, but he knew it would take more than this for that to happen.

His voice reached the deepest, darkest parts of her mind, and it made her eyes open. His hand on her cheek, his sapphire eyes burning into hers were the only things keeping her grounded to reality, the only things holding her sanity, and she was suddenly filled with love, with awe, with gratitude. She may not have been good enough for him, but he made her feel like maybe she was. And it felt _good_.

Tobias felt tremendous relief at the sight of her grey eyes, slowly shifting to their blue counterparts, at the feel of her delicate hand coming up to cover his. He placed his other on her left cheek, and slowly, gently, leaned down to meet her lips. He didn't want to scare her, but he wanted her to know that he wasn't going anywhere.

His kiss spread warmth through Tris, and she sighed contentedly. She wanted to apologize, to make up for acting like an idiot and hurting him like she had, but she knew he'd only chastise her. He didn't like when she apologized so much.

Poe moved to stand between them again, this time nudging his head against Tris's thigh. She rubbed his head, looking down at her Newfoundland. He was such a good friend, always protecting her, and she was so grateful for him. She met Tobias's eyes again, which were full of awe and happiness, and she smiled, too. She was content here, with her two favorite guys.

And then her stomach growled a bit, and she stood up straight, remembering what they were supposed to be doing. Her brow furrowed, her arms draping themselves around Tobias's neck as his automatically wrapped around her waist.

"You better be taking me to a burger," she mumbled, leaning in, and she grinned at his laugh vibrating between their lips.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hey everybody! I just got back from a week-long mission trip in Tennessee, where I had no computer and no internet, so I'm giving you guys this super-long chapter to make up for lost time! It's not my best, but it's got some cute FourTris, and who doesn't love that? Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think! Thanks :) - Loopy**_

"I hope this is okay," Tobias told Tris, a bit nervous she wouldn't like the underrated restaurant he'd found. It was a combination of casual and formal, so their outfits were fine here, and they had excellent burgers, but he wanted everything to go perfectly.

Tris smiled as she looked around, taking the seat Tobias had pulled out for her. This place was dimly lit, and each table had its own little candle atop a navy blue cloth. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Tobias." And she meant it. This was wonderful.

Although, she was a bit confused by the venue. It was by the lake, and the view through their window was gorgeous, but this place seemed to be a seafood restaurant. She'd had crab before, long ago, and she'd loved it, but she hadn't indulged herself since she first moved to Chicago. And she'd specifically asked for a burger. But Tobias was with her, and it was obvious he was trying to make this special for her, so she was happy.

"Thank _you_ , Tris. For saying yes." He grinned. The moment was interrupted by the waitress, who filled the glasses sitting on their table and took their drink order.

"Fancy," Tris commented, eyeing the wine glass in front of her that was now filled with water. Tobias chuckled at the way her nose scrunched. She picked up the cup and took a sip, nodding slightly. "Even _tastes_ like it's rich." Tobias laughed fully at that, shaking his head slightly.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I took you to a seafood place when you asked for a burger," he started, opening the menu in front of him. Tris smiled curiously.

"The thought had crossed my mind," she played along. He seemed to find what he'd been looking for, and he slid the menu in front of her, his finger on top of what seemed to be the only burger in the place.

Tris grinned. Half-pound. Kaiser roll. _Covered in cheesy crab dip_. "Oh my god. I love you." She said it lightly in the excitement of having this wonderful food. It took her a moment to realize what she'd just told him, since she'd only had Tori as a friend, and they always told each other they loved each other whenever one of them did something nice.

Tobias shook off the words, understanding they were simply spoken in the moment. He grinned, too, and eased over the slight awkwardness. "I thought you might enjoy it. My buddy, Zeke, took me here a couple years ago, and when you asked for a burger, this was what my mind instantly went to." He'd been looking at his hands, sure that if he looked in her eyes he wouldn't be able to focus on his words, but he gave in and lifted his head now, to find her staring at him with an incredulous expression. "What?"

"You have _friends_?" Her voice was so surprised, so disbelieving, Tobias couldn't hold back his laugh.

"Is that so hard to believe? I have a _job_ , you know, and it would be boring as hell if I didn't talk to anyone there," he explained.

She still seemed thoroughly confused. He had the urge to plant a kiss on the crease between her eyebrows. "But…" she whispered, "You're an ass."

Tobias's grin widened. "So are my friends. It works nicely."

Tris had been joking, but she was also starting to realize how much about this man she didn't know. She'd been under the impression that she was his only friend, that she understood him more than anyone else - she wasn't sure why she'd thought that. It was so ridiculously naive, she suddenly felt very idiotic.

Tobias could see the shift in her demeanor, and she looked at if she'd been lied to. He didn't know why, but he thought it might have something to do with the idea of him having other friends, of acting toward them as he did toward her, and he wanted, _needed_ her to know that she was special to him, that she knew him better than them.

 _Them_ , he thought, _that's my first problem._ "Well, my _friend_ ," he said, chuckling slightly. "Zeke. He works in the office with me." His eyes searched hers, and he could see she was returning to normal. He relaxed. "I'm not a very _social_ person."

Tris smiled at that. It was clear to her when she met him that he had about as much experience with people as she did. "I know what you mean," she teased, and just like that their conversation fell back into its usual rhythm.

The waitress came back not too much longer, baring their drinks and writing down their food order. Tobias got the same burger Tris did.

"Oh my god," Tris repeated, staring wide-eyed at the delicacy in front of her. She'd _never_ had a fancy burger before. It was a _burger_ , for fuck's sake. Those weren't _fancy_.

But this one was, and she didn't realize until after she tried to pick it up and got crab dip all over her that she'd have to use the fork and knife she'd been given. Tobias laughed at her expression, handing her a napkin. "I know, it's kind of messy. Sorry about that."

Tris scowled at him. "You sound it," she grumbled, wiping at the cheesy on her shirt. If she'd been wearing her camisole, she could go to the bathroom and possibly salvage this top, but _no_. Poe had to be an asshole today.

Tobias grinned as she shot blue daggers at him. "So," he changed subjects, "why do you work every single day? I mean, even if you own the place, usually owners take a day off. You could even close the whole shop for a day." He waited for her response. He wanted to know everything about her.

Tris sighed. Tori had given her this lecture multiple times since they'd opened the place, and she didn't really like talking about the flaws in her nature, but this was Tobias. "My father didn't think I'd make it on my own. So I'm working my ass off to prove him wrong." Long story short. That would spare both of them.

Tobias stared. And stared. And stared, until Tris was ready to punch the look off his face, and then he started laughing. _Hard_. "You're so… fucking… _spiteful_ ," he gasped between laughs, clutching at his abdomen and grinning at Tris through crinkled eyes. She glared at him. Shrugged. He shook his head. "It's _awesome_." He'd never met someone so determined to make her own path, to go against what everyone else expected. It was astonishing to him, especially since he'd always followed what he was told to do. By Marcus, by Zeke. Hell, he was more than happy to be working under a boss, and here Tris was, opening up her own business so she wouldn't have to answer to anyone.

Tris felt her face flare. She didn't understand his reaction, but she didn't like having this much attention on her. She cleared her throat and took another bite of her burger. It was fucking delicious. "What about you? What made you want to work in an office?" she countered, knowing that the idea made her feel claustrophobic. But she was curious what he found appealing about it.

He shrugged a bit. "I, for one, have no problem taking orders. I do what I enjoy doing, and that's good enough for me." And it was true. He couldn't have been happier with where he was at in life. Zeke was a good friend to him, Will was an excellent boss, and now he was sitting on a date with the most fascinating girl he'd ever met.

Tris smiled at his explanation. She was glad he'd found his passion as she'd found hers, even if they were completely different in nature. "Oh. I thought it was because computer analysts are rich as shit," she teased. Tobias raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is _that_ why you like me? For the money? I see how it is," he played along. He loved how natural it felt to talk to her, how he could be himself around her and not feel like he was being judged.

Tris's laugh was music to his ears. "I'm an artist, Tobias. Obviously, money is not a priority." Tobias laughed, too.

They spent the next two hours enjoying their burgers, their drinks, and most of all, each other's company. Tobias learned that Tris had a borderline-unhealthy obsession with Robert Downey Junior, and Tris learned Tobias had begun taking shooting lessons on a dare with Zeke. She begged him to take her along for one, and it didn't take much for him to agree. It was nice to think about the future again. He hadn't for a while.

"You guys ready for the check?" the waitress asked politely. This had been her third time around the table since they'd finished eating their meals, and they were starting to get the hint that they were annoying her with their lack of consideration for possible other customers.

Tris was about to nod, but Tobias surprised her by speaking to the woman. "Could we actually get two slices of the raspberry rum cake to go, first? And then you can bring _me_ the check," he grinned at Tris at the last line, holding back a laugh at the murderous expression on her face. They'd already had the whose-check-it-is discussion, and Tris had thought her win on that was pretty obvious.

Obviously not.

"What the fuck, Tobias?" she said once the waitress left their table. Tobias shrugged, a look of feigned innocence on his face.

"I'm sorry. I'll eat yours if you don't want it." Tris scowled. He _knew_ this wasn't about the cake, but she couldn't hold back her smirk at his expression. He was adorable.

"Like hell you will," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Tobias's eyes followed her bare shoulders with the movement, and then headed back to her face. _Focus._ They got caught on her collarbone, on the three ravens there, and with the urge to press his lips against them came a memory, of when he first saw her at her house today.

"Hey," he shifted topics, as if remembering something. Tris watched him expectantly. He looked lost in thought, his brows low over his dark irises. "You have a back tattoo, right? I saw it when I came to pick you up." Tris felt her face heat up. She nodded, hesitantly. There was actually more than one on her back, but she knew which one was visible with this shirt. "What does it mean?" His smile was contagious.

His eyes were glued to her skin as she turned in her chair, exposing her right shoulder and back to him. He now noticed the start of the floral tattoo, wrapped around the same bravery symbol he had on him. She spoke, still facing away from him, and his gaze traced the vines trailing beneath her shirt, the roses entwined within them. "It represents who I've become. Growing into a better person, a respectable person, using the bravery I've been working hard to have." She shrugged and turned back around.

Tris loved the rose work Tori had done on her, but it was nothing compared to how she felt about the one around her right wrist. She held it out for him to see. There was something surreal about sharing this with him, sharing herself with him.

But he didn't get a chance to look at it, as the waitress returned with two boxes and the check. Tobias shot Tris an apologetic look as he handed the woman his card inside the folder, but he put up his index finger, as if postponing their conversation. She couldn't help but smile.

Tobias's Buick was a lot like him. It was warm, with welcoming fabric seats and a smell that resembled his with a touch of pine. She had to admit she liked it. A lot. The radio played softly between them as he drove silently to her house. It wasn't that far of a drive, only about twenty minutes. Tris wondered what he was thinking. She didn't know if he'd come in when they got back to her place, but she had a feeling he would, considering he'd silenced her at the restaurant.

Tobias glanced over at Tris. He'd been feeling her gaze boring into the side of his head for a few moments now, and he wanted to know what she was thinking. He smiled at her briefly before turning back to the road. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Tris didn't even hesitate. "Make it a twenty, and you've got yourself a deal." He laughed. She really was something else.

"I bought you food," he retorted, sticking his chin up a bit as if that gave him some sort of power. Now it was Tris's turn to chuckle.

"True," she relented, "I wasn't thinking much. Just wondering if you were going to be coming in when we get there."

Tobias looked at her again, a bit surprised. He'd spent too much time with Zeke to stop his mind from thinking what it wanted right now, but his friend hadn't completely ruined him, so he spoke what he thought would be a good response. "Yeah. That's why I got the cake to go," he explained. "If that's okay with you, I mean."

Tris nodded with a smile, and they fell back into a comfortable silence.

Poe was awaiting their arrival. He was lying on the couch when they stumbled in, his head perking up a bit at the sight of them holding hands and laughing. He liked seeing her happy, and he liked even more the fact that Tobias was making her happy.

"Hey, Poe," Tobias said easily, crouching down and greeting the dog, rubbing his ears and even kissing his snout. Poe grunted in return. His tail was wagging.

Tris stared, incredulous. Poe's affection toward Tobias was obvious, but she wouldn't say anything about him liking Tobias more. She knew how much her dog cared about her. But she couldn't help herself from shaking her head at them on her way to the kitchen. "Fucking traitor," she mumbled, slipping off her shoes.

Tobias followed, stepping out of his own in the process. He laughed at her words. "Jealous much?" His grin widened when she turned around and raised an incredulous eyebrow at him, reaching into a cabinet and pulling out two plates. "It's not _my_ fault your dog has impeccable taste."

Tris scowled at him, but she wasn't really upset. To be honest, this was the happiest she'd felt since she'd brought Poe home for the first time. Everything with Tobias was easy, light. It felt _right_. "I didn't have to let you back in my house," she deadpanned. She was walking toward the table, but once the plates were set, Tobias put the boxes on the table and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Oh, come on. You're having a good time," he teased, though a part of him couldn't help but be nervous. Tris was the most important person to him, the most important anything. He didn't want to mess this up, to scare her away. To his tremendous relief, she rolled her eyes and smirked.

"I _suppose_ I am." And with that, she pressed her lips to his. Their mouths moved together slowly, languidly, passionately, both of them pouring out the emotions they'd been swimming in all night. There was an electricity buzzing through them, shocking between their bodies, and Tobias couldn't help his arms from tightening around her. She felt _so good_ pressed against him.

He pulled back first, gently untangling himself from her and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. His breath caught at the brightness of her blue eyes. Challenging. Beautiful. His hands were gripping her hips, and hers were wrapped around his neck.

"Thank you, Tobias," she whispered, and she could see the surprise in his ocean eyes. Surely he hadn't been thinking this was going poorly… right? Of course she'd be grateful; she hadn't been shown this kind of care in a _long_ time. People didn't usually get to know her, listen to her problems. Even Tori only knew part of her story. But something about Tobias made her want to spill her every secret, to break down her walls for him.

"You're certainly welcome," he replied, and his grin was so genuine, his eyes so loving, that Tris leaned in again. This kiss was stronger, more hungry, and she found herself quickly consumed and overwhelmed by him in the most intense of ways. It threatened to tear her apart and pull her together all at once, and she wasn't ready for losing too much control right now, but she had to admit it felt _good_. She caught his bottom lip between her teeth as she pulled away only far enough to speak.

"I believe there is cake to be had," she grinned, and Tobias knew this is what he wanted. He'd been falling hard and fast, and there was no denying his feelings for her. Beatrice Prior was the most amazing woman he'd ever met, and the rest of that night, spent watching movies and talking and laughing and kissing, only solidified that fact for him.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hey guys! I started writing this chapter not really knowing where it would go, but it took an angsty turn :) Happy Independence Day to all you Americans out there! Thanks for all of the reviews; they make me write more :D Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think! - Loopy**_

"Thanks for tonight, Tobias," Tris whispered suddenly, clouding the air between them. He'd been staring lazily at her, his eyes practically singing her skin, and she'd abruptly realized how much this man had helped her, whether he knew it or not. His expression didn't change except for the widening of his grin.

"You're certainly welcome, Tris. I've had fun," he mumbled, reaching over and lacing his fingers with hers. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

She smiled. "Me, too." Her grey eyes took in the sight of her arm above the couch, her skin against his mouth, her tattoo's vines wrapping around her wrist, and she was suddenly reminded of their earlier conversation, the one that had been interrupted by their waitress.

Tobias's eyes grazed the broken clock he could now see on Tris's skin, and he slowly lowered her hand, turning over her arm. His fingers traced the clock, the broken glass, and then the blue vines protruding from the black rose beside it. He could feel his brow furrow, the corners of his mouth lift. She had more tattoos, more stories to tell, and he was eager to learn everything about her.

His eyes met hers. Waiting. Expecting. Tris spoke. "Blue is a color of self healing," she started, her fingers coming to join his on the vines. "And black roses are a symbol of memorial." She'd designed this tattoo when she was still in high school, knowing it was one she wanted for sure. It fit everything about her, and she felt a stronger connection to it than any of the other designs on her body.

Her eyes didn't lift to his face, but he could see the memories clouding their irises. It made him sigh. "And the clock?" he wondered softly, moving his thumb over it. He was entranced by the tattoo, yes, but he couldn't seem to get enough of her skin. It was impossibly smooth.

Tris lifted her head, trying to hide the effect he had on her. His face was less than six inches from hers. She cleared her throat. "Passed time. Remember the past to become a better person. I sketched it out in high school, but I didn't get it until recently. Tori did it for me."

Tobias scanned her face, completely in awe at her quiet beauty. She was amazing, intoxicating, without even trying. Without even _knowing_.

He pressed his lips to her wrist, then trailed kisses up her arm, slowly, hotly. She tasted _so good_.

Tris closed her eyes as his mouth made its way to her shoulder, over her collarbone. She felt a shudder pass through her, and then his smile against her skin. He sucked on her pulsepoint, and her hands automatically tangled themselves in his hair. It was astonishing, the effect he could have on her, and she was steadily losing control. It was exhilarating, liberating. Terrifying.

But Tobias knew her better than anyone else, and he moved from her neck to her cheek, then to her surprise, he finished with a sweet kiss to the tip of her nose. He was grinning when he finished, but she could see his eyes were a shade darker than usual. It made her heart race. She hadn't noticed until now that his arms had wrapped around her, gripping her tightly against his chest.

His mind raced. They'd grown very close this past couple of months, and she'd been slowly letting her walls down, introducing him to her problems and insecurities. It made him feel wanted, appreciated, when he could see how much she trusted him. After everything he'd been through, trust wasn't really something he was used to. And now, he was sitting here with this beautiful person, in her house, in her _arms_ , and she wasn't turning away. She wasn't holding back. She was telling him he _was_ worth trusting, that he _wasn't_ who he'd always seen himself as.

And suddenly he realized he needed to tell her everything about him, too. His insides twisted with nervousness, hesitation, and he held her tighter to him, burying his face in her hair. He'd need her strength to do this. He'd need to feel her arms around him, accepting him.

 _Where do I start?_

Tris's brow furrowed as Tobias breathed deeply. His demeanor had seemed to change, and instead of holding her for affection, he appeared to be comforting himself. She felt a warmth pour through her at the idea she could comfort him, that she could be useful. Her arms tightened, too, and she reassured him, "You can tell me anything, Tobias."

Her voice was little over a whisper, but it gave Tobias the strength to continue. She really was extraordinary. _What did I ever do to deserve this?_ Another deep breath. "My father - Marcus. He's the reason I came to you in the first place." And then Tobias paused, because in that statement he'd come to a realization. _Without Marcus, there would be no Tris_. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, so he swallowed down the thought and continued, his throat suddenly very dry.

"He tried to force me to be someone I'm not. And he hated that I couldn't do what he wanted, that I couldn't do anything right." All of the insecurities came rushing back, whispering his insignificance, his worthlessness, and he felt his body start to shake. He'd thought - really _believed_ he'd moved past all of that. But he understood now that he'd only buried the fear, not faced it. Surely Tris would see how much of a coward he was, and the thought made him even more scared.

Tris's arms were the only thing holding him together. "He'd beat me with his belt, lock me in closets for days on end. 'It's for your own good,' he'd say, until I finally believed I was as worthless as he said I was. So I… I stopped after that…" his voice faded into a cracked whisper, and Tris couldn't take it anymore. She pulled back.

Her hands framed his face, her heart wrenching in pain at the sight of his red eyes, his fear. She leaned forward, placing her forehead on his. She didn't know how to make him forget, but she needed him to know she was here for him. "Stopped what?" she asked softly.

His eyes had been closed, desperately trying to stay away from Tris. She didn't need this kind of coward in her arms. But she was still here, wasn't she? Holding him, talking to him, making him stronger? So he pried his eyes open, staring into hers, and he was abruptly hit with his mistake. Tris was keeping him strong, not burdening him. He needed, craved, the intensity in her stormy eyes. "Feeling."

Tris felt her own tears coming on as she imagined a younger Tobias becoming numb to the world and his own emotions. All he knew was hate, so it was all he believed. It ripped her apart to think that he didn't know what he was worth, that he stopped believing anyone would love him.

But she didn't say anything, not yet. Despite the pauses, she didn't think he was finished yet.

Tobias's breaths were shaky and irregular. There was still so much he couldn't find the words to explain, but he had a feeling Tris would understand anyway. But there was one thing he could mention, even though it was something he'd never even thought about himself, because of how much it'd hurt.

He brought his hands to grip Tris's face, as she was doing to his, and she turned her head to kiss his palm. It made him shiver, and he continued. "My mother left when I was seven. I heard them arguing the night before, heard Marcus hitting her _hard_ in a way he hadn't before, since he usually wanted to keep the marks hidden from the outside world," he said it with venom, hatred, remembering the way his _father_ had made him pry himself off the floor and get ready to leave for church, or the store, or wherever else he wanted to take him, to show him the control he had over him.

"Tobias," Tris called softly, her thumb tracing over the lines between his eyebrows, trying to ease away the memory. She was terrified of the hateful distance in his eyes, like he was falling away into a void where she wouldn't be able to reach him anymore. His eyes instantly drifted to hers, and she could see the despair in them. "It's okay. I'm here," she whispered.

Tobias swallowed, grateful for her presence and her obvious concern. He didn't want to think about what he'd be like without her. "He said something about another man, and I knew she'd found someone better. She was gone the next morning, along with all of her stuff, and I can't tell you how much that hurt." His brow furrowed again. "To know she ran away for a better life, and she left me behind. Like this new life would be even better without me, too." He felt another tear slip down his cheek, and Tris's thumb moved to wipe it away.

Tris held back the rest of her tears. He needed her to be strong, to encourage him that he could be, too, and that was what she would do. She was so _angry_ at his parents, at these assholes who were blessed with the most caring, thoughtful, intelligent man, and who took him for granted because they were too horrible to see his worth. And not only that, but in the process, they convinced him he wasn't good enough, too. She knew that feeling all too well, and she _hated_ that he'd had to feel it. Because he was the best person she knew, the best person she ever would know, and he was _more than enough_. He was amazing.

"I… I don't…" he hiccuped, and Tris could see he was at a loss for words. That must be the end of the explanation, other than how it's made him feel. But she'd gone through enough of his insecurities to know somewhat how he was feeling, and she didn't want to make him go through the agony that was saying it aloud. Admitting to the weakness, even though he'd been so strong to rise out of that as a better man.

She couldn't hold back anymore. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his and trying to pour out the emotions she felt. She needed him to know how much he meant to her, how important he was.

Tobias kissed her back with a powerful combination of relief and desperation. She was still here, accepting him, and when they separated, he only saw anger and sadness in her eyes, not pity. Not disgust. He smiled a bit.

It was Tris's turn to speak. "Tobias, you are the most amazing person I've ever met," she started, and she could feel herself starting to tear up again, but she swallowed it down, determined to make him understand. "You didn't deserve any of that. No one ever does. But you got through it, you got away from there, and you've become a better person because of it. You're strong, you're brave. You're incredible."

His eyes drifted away from hers. He didn't really deserve what she was saying. He wasn't a good person, wasn't worth anything…

Tris grabbed his chin and pulled his gaze back to hers, a new kind of fury pulsing through her. That someone had the audacity to make someone this kind, this loving, make him feel less than he was. She needed him to understand. "I'm sitting here with you because you _deserve_ that kind of affection. I'm holding you, I'm trying to make you see how awesome you are, because you're _worth_ it. I've spent my entire life terrified of myself, of not being enough, of being in the way, but I'm not letting that pull me away from you because I'm selfish and you _need_ to understand how much you mean to me."

A weight in Tobias's chest lifted as he watched the energy radiating off of Tris. She made him feel important, and it was an overwhelmingly unfamiliar sensation. He wanted to talk to her, too, to let her know how incredible she was, but right now he was frozen with exhaustion and awe and love.

Tris abruptly realized what she needed to say, what she needed to add to make him know. And the idea of telling him didn't make her hesitate. This was _right_.

She put her hands on his cheeks again and dragged his mouth to hers for another passionate kiss. There were tears on both of their faces, but neither seemed to care as their lips moved slowly against each other. Her tongue ran across his bottom lip and then entered his mouth, entwining with his, before she pulled back, breathless.

Her eyes bore into his, and he knew that whatever she was about to say was sincere, important.

"I'm in love with you because you're _worth_ loving, Tobias. Don't ever doubt that."


	14. 100th Review Extra

_**Hey everybody! This isn't a chapter, but it's a little scene after my 13th chapter that I wasn't going to put in the story originally. I'm uploading it in celebration of my 100th review! Thank you all SOOOOOO much for your support! I can't believe this story is being enjoyed by so many incredible people! Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think, and DFTBA! Love you all :) - Loopy**_

Tobias decided to stay over that night. It didn't take much convincing, especially since he didn't have to go in until ten the next morning, and he also didn't want to leave Tris. Her words were still buzzing through his mind, still slowly processing themselves into his heart as his arms gripped her back to his chest. The room was dark, even with the moonlight beams casting shadows across the floor, and the peacefulness was letting him take in the full effect of their conversation.

When he'd first heard the words leave her mouth, his first instinct had been to say them back. But he couldn't. He'd told himself it was because of the lump in his throat, the exhaustion and shock of what he'd explained to her, but he knew that wasn't the only thing. He didn't feel like he was good enough to love her. And he didn't know how to be in a meaningful relationship, didn't know how to love her. He hadn't had much practice with love ever since his mother died, thinking life would be easier without it, but with Tris… He _wanted_ to love her. But he didn't know how.

Tris swallowed heavily, closing her eyes tighter. She was trying not to be upset about the fact that he hadn't responded. Of course, she wasn't really disappointed that he hadn't said he loved her, too. But she hadn't been expecting him to not say anything at all. What could he possibly have been thinking about her? Was he having second thoughts? Regretting letting her in?

She was sure that being pushed away now would kill her, and she gripped the sheets tightly in her fist to try to ignore that harsh reality. Perhaps she could just disappear…

Tobias felt her stiffen in his arms, and his brow furrowed as he realized how much of an asshole he was being. He wasn't sure Tris was too annoyed, but she'd just confessed her love for him, and he hadn't said anything at all. Hadn't even smiled at her words.

Her insecurities resurfaced in his mind, and he hated himself for what he was probably making her feel right now. In that instant, he knew that his knowledge didn't matter. He was too selfish to let Tris go. He didn't need to know _how_ to love her; he just knew that he did. And that was what was important.

"I love you, too, you know," he choked out, his breath fanning across her neck. _What the hell was that, Tobias?_ He cleared his throat and tried again, gently pulling her hip to get her to face him. Her eyes were blue. "I have for a while, I just… didn't want to scare you away."

Tris grinned, a tired, relieved smile. He always had a way of making her happier than she ever thought she could be. "Then you should know me better," she teased, knowing he thought she was fearless. But that was far from true; she was scared of her own shadow. Hell, she was scared of having Tobias here with her in bed, even though the logical part of her _knew_ he wouldn't push her.

Tobias smiled, too, leaning down and kissing her. Only their lips touched, but it sent sparks through his body. "I know," he whispered, his mouth brushing hers and his breath hot on her lips. He felt her shiver. "I love you."


	15. Chapter 14

_**Oh my gosh! I am SOOOOO sorry for the wait! I've been crazy busy all summer, and even now, my sister's wedding is in six days, and I have family coming to my house from all over the place, but I am so determined to get you the next chapter! A couple of people have asked me if this story is over, and NO, I plan on continuing it a lot more. However, time to write has been getting scarcer and scarcer :(**_

 _ **With that said, I apologize in advance. This is more of a sneak peek at the next chapter, but I really wanted to get something out to you guys tonight, so here it is. The next chapter is longer and dramatic and currently being written and going to be posted VERY SOON. I PROMISE.**_

 _ **Thank you so much for sticking with me, guys! I love you all! Be sure to let me know what you think :) - Loopy**_

"C'mon, dude. It's even _more_ obvious than usual today," Zeke whined, leaning his elbow on Tobias's shoulder. He'd _never_ seen his friend so gleeful, even in the last couple of months. "It _has_ to be a girl, right?"

Tobias laughed at his buddy's persistence, shaking his head slightly. The man had been unrelenting in his questioning ever since Tobias had met Tris, ever since he started coming to work with a smile. He had always shaken off Zeke's comments, not really understanding the situation himself. But now, here, he was positive, certain that this girl was who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, even if it was way too soon to tell her that.

But he _could_ say other things, and he didn't hold back his excitement when he replied simply, "Not just _any_ girl. My _girlfriend_."

Zeke froze for a second, and then a grin spread across his face. He clapped Tobias's shoulder, laughing with joy. "It's about _damn_ time!" he crowed, loud enough to the point where Tobias had to shush him.

But Tobias wasn't too annoyed. He _loved_ that he could call Tris that, that he could call Tris _his_. "Who is she? How long? I want to meet her!" Zeke teased. Tobias couldn't help his chuckle at the way Zeke had altered his voice to make it sound like that of a teenage girl.

Zeke laughed, too, and then his face grew a bit more serious. "No, but seriously. I want to meet her. She must be something if she has _your_ attention."

Tobias nodded, his eyes glazing over as he pictured her strength, her unspoken beauty, the way she'd accepted _all_ of him. _God, I love her_. "She's amazing, Zeke." His voice was sincere, his eyes genuine.

Zeke had known that whenever Tobias found a girl, she'd be it for him. But he guessed he never really thought about how much that meant. The love he had for her was practically radiating off of him. Zeke quietly hoped she felt the same for him. With how genuinely good Tobias was, he deserved it.

Will's inquisitive shout was what finally propelled Zeke to the frame of his friend's cubicle. His grin was still present, even through the fear in his eyes. "Friday night. Harrison's. The four of us are going out." And with that, he slipped back to his own desk. Tobias shook his head, praying Tris would be alright with this meeting. She didn't like social situations any more than he did, but he hoped they'd be able to get each other through the night.


	16. Chapter 15

_**As promised, here is the next chapter, all long and angsty XD XD It's pretty full of randomness, so I hope it's enjoyable lol. I'm writing this at ten past midnight, just because I really wanted to get you this chapter. I kind of am on the fence about the ending, but let me know what you think ( ._.)**_

Tris stared at the mess before her, thoroughly defeated. Her breathing was starting to quicken, her brow furrowing. Who the hell would notice if she was wearing a too-loose dress? Who the hell would _care_? She hadn't worn a dress in years, hadn't bought one in over five, and she'd never owned one that actually fit her correctly. She didn't know these people, didn't care what her first impression on them was, because her outfit said nothing about her.

 _That isn't true._ Poe's knowing stare relaxed Tris's shoulders, and she sighed heavily. "I know," she breathed. The helplessness in her voice surprised her, but she didn't try to fix it as she fell back on her bed. Of course she cared. These were Tobias's _friends_. Practically his family. And if they didn't like her, maybe he'd realize what a wreck she was…

"Tris." She didn't move. Didn't flinch. His voice was soft, and it made her heart ache. She didn't want to disappoint him, or his friends. She didn't want to lose him, and that part of her was greatly conflicted with the don't-give-a-shit-what-people-think part.

Tobias collapsed on the bed beside her. He'd never seen her so silently angry before, and it was extremely unsettling. "You alright?" It was a stupid question, considering the oh-so-obvious answer. But it felt necessary in this moment.

His words pulsed through her skull. She wasn't sure if she was alright, wasn't sure if she could really explain how he was feeling. "No," she stated. Tobias chuckled, then leaned onto his elbow so he could see her.

Her eyes were the bluest he'd ever seen them, and he knew that meant she was at war with herself. They had to leave in twenty minutes in order to reach the restaurant on time, and judging by the way she was still clad in her pajama shorts and tank top, she had no intention of being ready by then. There was a mountain of clothes at the foot of her bed, but none set aside as far as he could tell.

"Can't decide on an outfit?" he teased, knowing she wasn't the type to care about how she looked to others. But, to his surprise, her eyes flitted to his and then away again. She remained silent. _What?_

The bed squeaked as Tobias moved into a sitting position beside her, eyeing her curiously. She could feel her face flaring. This wasn't something she wanted to be feeling, wasn't something she wanted him to see. It was petty, stupid. Unnecessary.

"You're not serious." The incredulousness in his voice made her anger burn, but she remained silent. Of course she was serious, and she hated how ridiculous it made her seem. She hated feeling this weak, this incompetent over something so small. "Tris…"

Her body jolted forward before she told it to. His voice had triggered something inside of her, and there was no stopping it now. "Don't _Tris_ me, Tobias! I _know_ it's stupid, I _know_ it's unreasonable, and I _know_ I shouldn't care what the hell I look like for these people!" The words echoed off the wall in their intensity, but she kept herself from exploding completely. Tobias had done nothing to deserve that.

Her head throbbed, the room spinning, but suddenly there were strong arms around her waist and tethering her to reality. Lips brushed her ear as they spoke, "But?"

And just like that, just in that simple whisper, Tris let herself fall back into his embrace, let herself accept the weight of what she was feeling. Tobias was trustworthy; Tobias was safe. "But," she explained softly, "I want them to like me."

Tobias grinned. After everything, after all the hell she'd been through, all the people she had to face, all the years spent developing a carefree attitude, he'd made her soft. The fact that she cared enough about him to mind what impression she made melted his heart. "They will, babe. You're amazing."

Tris remained silent in his arms, and it was then he noticed the baby blue dress laid out across the edge of the bed. It was simple, plain, but its color matched the stormy part of her eyes. His brow furrowed. He didn't even know she owned a dress.

Without releasing her, he scooted them over toward the garment. "Are you wearing this?" he asked sincerely. Tris shrugged.

"I don't know. It doesn't look right on me. But I feel like I should _try_ to look good, you know?" She sighed again, and untangled herself from Tobias's warmth. As much as she loved being held by him, they didn't have much time before they had to leave. And she needed to get dressed.

Tobias rose from the bed, planting a gentle kiss on her fire-clad shoulder. It made her shiver. "You always look good, Tris. Wear whatever you feel comfortable wearing. It won't affect their opinions of you. I love you, Tris. They will, too." With that and a smile, he led Poe out of the room, not before the dog shot one more pointed look in the direction of the dress. Tris rolled her eyes once she shook the electricity Tobias's kiss had sent through her. _What the hell._

When his girlfriend emerged from her bedroom ten minutes later, she was wearing the dress, but she'd also put on black and white striped leggings and her red combat boots. It was a very specific look, and Tobias loved it. Even going out of her comfort zone, she wasn't afraid to be herself.

"You look good, Tris," he whispered, wrapping his hands over her hips. Hers flattened on his chest. She gave him a sly grin through her blush.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she replied, leaning to her toes to press her lips to his. And she wasn't kidding; this was the first time she'd ever seen him in a blazer, and she had to admit it was doing things to her she never imagined she'd feel in a situation like this.

But there wasn't time for much more than another chaste kiss, she reminded herself, and she pulled away, locking her hand with his. "Ready for this?" he asked, genuinely curious. She was wondering the same thing, but she figured she could accomplish anything with Tobias's hand in hers, so she nodded.

Harrison's was a popular restaurant in the middle of the city. It was often crowded, often booked, and often unreachable. Tris had never been there before, so she wasn't really sure what she was expecting when Tobias informed her that's where they were to meet his friends. But when they pulled up in front of a small, family-run establishment, she was a bit confused. "Are you sure this is the place?" she muttered for the third time, making Tobias laugh.

"Really, Tris, you need to get out more," he replied simply, removing his hand from hers to open the door. She scowled as they moved inside. Tobias elbowed her ribs. "Relax, it's a good place. Zeke and I come here all the time." He felt some tension ease from her shoulders, and he smiled.

Tris tried to ignore the lack of warmth as Tobias removed his arm from around her shoulders to sign the reservation sheet. And she definitely tried to ignore the flirtatious grin the woman at the desk gave her boyfriend, the way she greeted him by his first name. Fleetingly, jealously, she wondered if they'd ever dated before, but the thought passed. She didn't really want to think about Tobias's dating history, especially if it consisted of someone so curvaceous and beautiful.

"Right this way, Mr. Eaton," she chirped, beckoning for him to follow her. Tobias turned and offered his arm to Tris; she greedily wrapped it in her own, making his smile widen.

Their table was in the back corner of the place, much to Tris's delight. She hated being out in the open, where she had blind spots. In corners, she could observe without feeling exposed. "I'll let you know when Zeke gets here. I assume that's who you're waiting for?" the woman asked innocently, and Tris felt an urge to punch her. She was talking as if she knew anything about Tobias and his friends, and it was pissing her off.

But Tobias was unphased. He simply smiled. "Thanks, Nita," he replied, and she grinned before strutting away, not so much as glancing in Tris's direction.

Tris was being uncharacteristically quiet, and Tobias's brow furrowed as he slid out her chair for her, wondering if she was feeling alright. He sat beside her, leaving the two chairs across from them for Zeke and Shauna, and covered her hand with his.

The inside of her cheek was clasped between her teeth. "So I guess you weren't kidding when you said you come here all the time." She ran her left index finger across the rim of the water glass before her, feigning disinterest. In reality, she couldn't have been listening more intently.

Tobias shrugged, face still scrunched in concern. _What a random thing to say. Is she talking about Nita knowing my name?_ "Yeah, we try to come at least once a month. Nita's always working the seating."

Tris didn't flinch, despite the growing hatred in her stomach. She didn't like this _Nita_. Tobias was _hers_. But she knew that she didn't really own him, didn't really have control over whether or not he could leave her for someone better, and that terrified her.

She tried to keep her voice flat. "How… _convenient_."

That thoroughly confused Tobias. What was she talking about? It wasn't really much of a convenience, he thought. It wasn't like she had a special table set aside for them when they came or anything, though he supposed it was possible Tris thought otherwise. But judging by the venom in her voice, the bitterness of her tone and the storms in her eyes, he had a feeling she wasn't talking about what he'd thought.

And then he saw guilt flash before her eyes, insecurity, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. She was second-guessing herself, thinking that there could be a chance she was inferior to Nita. The idea made Tobias want to laugh out loud, but he remained composed, simply making a pointed comment. "Not really. She's kind of a bitch."

The words caught Tris off guard. One second she was staring wide-eyed at her boyfriend; the next, she was grabbing at her abdomen, trying to catch her breath from the laughter. Tobias grinned triumphantly. Wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. He loved the warmth of her laugh.

"Good to see you didn't wait to start the fun," they heard behind them. Tris sobered immediately, raising from her seat and turning around, wide-eyed. A dark-skinned, crinkled-eyed, grinning man stood behind her, white teeth flashing a wide grin. Tobias stood, too, and his hand on her arm calmed her nerves as she was suddenly reminded of her horrible social skills.

"Hey, Zeke," he smiled, reaching out to shake his friend's hand. The man nodded in response, and Tobias moved to hug the woman beside him. "And always a pleasure, Shauna."

Tris awkwardly waited for Tobias to finish his greeting and introduce her. The man — Zeke — had been staring intently at her since she'd turned around, and she was feeling quite uncomfortable under the attention. "Zeke, Shauna — this is Tris," Tobias started, grinning lovingly into Tris's eyes, pleasantly drowning her, "my girlfriend." Tris grinned in response, blushing profusely.

Zeke broke the moment first, startling everyone by attacking her in a full-on hug. She was stunned, but hesitantly returned the embrace. "Sorry, but I've been waiting for this a long time, Tris. Just let me savor it for a moment," he said, still holding onto her. Tris chuckled a bit.

"For what?" she wondered aloud. Surely Tobias hadn't talked about her enough to be so excited to meet her… So what could he be talking about?

Zeke pulled back as he responded cheekily, "For Tobias to get a girlfriend. And for me to embarrass him in front of her." Tris wasn't sure quite how to respond to that. She looked over at Tobias, who was looking away. A faint pink tinted his cheeks. Was this true? Was she his first girlfriend?

He looked extremely uncomfortable, but before he could interject, Shauna pulled Zeke away and wrapped her own arms around Tris, hugging her as best she could around her baby bump. "Stop it, Zeke, you're lucky you're here to see this moment, with the hell you put him through," she sighs, pulling from the hug and leaving her hands on Tris's shoulders. "It's wonderful to meet you, Tris. I'm so happy for you both."

The smile that came to Tris's face was easy, gentle, sincere. She was happy, too. "Thank you so much. It's good to meet you guys, too. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" Zeke feigned incredulity as everyone began situating themselves into their seats.

Tobias looked nervously to Tris. This was probably overwhelming for her, and he was regretting it more and more. He shouldn't have invited her like this, shouldn't have thrown his hyperactive, nosy friends at her.

But she had grey in her eyes. She wasn't on full alert right now. She was enjoying herself, and that was good. Tobias let himself relax, too, as she deadpanned, "Well, how could he not? He's too much of an ass to have any other friends to talk about…"

Silence. Tris froze. Perhaps she shouldn't have said that. Shouldn't have gotten so comfortable, shouldn't have been herself…

Zeke's laughter blared like a siren through the entire restaurant, and it didn't take long for Shauna and Tobias to join in. He was genuinely happy, ecstatic that she had a sarcastic sense of humor, that she seemed to have a quick-tongue that could easily tear Tobias's to shreds. His best friend needed that kind of companion.

"I think you're going to fit in here quite nicely, Tris," he chuckled, raising his water glass in a toast. Shauna followed suit, and Tobias waited for Tris before he did, too. His eyes smiled at her, and she allowed herself to smile, too. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be.

But that illusion quickly faded as the topic switched to how they met. "Oh, you know how I wanted to get a full-back tattoo?" Tobias asked Zeke, and when Zeke nodded, he continued, "Well, thanks to Tris, I was able to make my dreams come true." His proud grin made Tris's heart melt. God, she loved him.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Shauna asked, clearly confused. Her smile was crooked, as if she was trying to understand. "Did you help him pick a design?"

Tris shrugged. "In a matter of speaking, yes. But I also gave him the tattoo." Another shrug. She didn't really like talking about her bigger projects as a starter subject on her job. It felt too much like bragging, and she wasn't an artist to brag about it. She just wanted to help people.

Shauna's smile fell, and Tris's did, too, as she watched the woman's face go from curious to cautious. "You're a tattoo artist?" Zeke asked, obviously attempting to repair the awkward situation. Tris's eyes shifted to his as she nodded.

"A damn good one at that," Tobias added, squeezing Tris's shoulder a bit. And while the comment made her heart flutter and her face flare, she couldn't help but wish he wouldn't have said it. It seemed Shauna had no interest in continuing conversation about her occupation.

"So, what do you do, Shauna?" she stuttered, trying to mend the heavy silence. But the woman didn't answer her. Just stared before abruptly standing.

"I have to use the restroom. Excuse me," she stated before shuffling off in the direction of the Ladies' Room.

Tris and Tobias watched after her, Tris feeling even more defeated than she had before they left. But she refused to show it, and lamely she joked, "Was it something I said?" Tobias smiled wryly at her, but looked to Zeke, who was frowning for the first time this evening.

But he quickly fixed his expression, and offered a kind grin. "She's pregnant, so she has to pee suddenly at random times. Not really a big deal." Tris didn't really believe him, but she didn't say anything.

Tobias, however, was unconvinced. "What is it, Zeke?" he insisted, concern and frustration coursing through him. Tris had been so worried about being accepted by his friends, and Shauna freaking like this certainly wouldn't be easy for her. It would mean he was breaking his promise that they'd love her, too.

And he knew how paranoid and superstitious Shauna could be, so it just made him even angrier that this was probably for a very ridiculous reason.

Zeke sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. It was rude of her to do this. Her parents kind of burned specific opinions in her when she was little, and one of them was a stereotype against tattoo artists all being… not great people." Tobias didn't question further. He didn't want to know the specifics, but he was frustrated all the same.

Tris didn't agree with that perspective. "Not great how?" she pressed, and Tobias sighed when he saw the blue returning to her eyes. Defensive. Argumentative. _Of course. It was going so well, too. Damn it, Shauna._

But Zeke wasn't one to beat around the bush, so he said simply, "Not great in that they cheat people and sleep around, and that they aren't to be trusted. She's just protective of her friends, so I guess she's worried about Tobias. It's ridiculous, though. I'm sorry about her. She'll come around, I promise."

Tris felt something inside of her deflate. It was beyond defeat, beyond anger. She wasn't _mad_ at Shauna, or even at her parents. She wasn't even mad at the actual bad tattoo artists that had given the art this reputation. No, she was mad at herself, for upsetting Shauna, for not being good enough for Tobias, for not being able to fit in with his friends, his family…

Tobias saw the shift in Tris, saw the color drain from her face, and immediately stood with her. He knew what her mind was doing, and he needed to take her somewhere private, somewhere to convince her otherwise before this stuck. "Hey, Zeke, I'm sorry about this. We have to go." He dropped a fifty from his wallet onto the table, and then he turned and led Tris away from this madness.

The walk to the car was the most terrifying journey he'd ever traveled. She felt so lifeless beside him, despite the motion of her feet, the warmth of her skin pressed against his hand. He helped her into her seat and then went to his own, turning fully to face her.

"I'm sor—" she started, not meeting his eyes, and Tobias grabbed her hand, cut her off.

"Stop it." His tone was harsh, final. Tris's face scrunched as she gathered her thoughts.

"No, I will not _stop it_. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that I upset your friend, that I couldn't fit in—"

Tobias shot forward and crashed his lips to hers, just to shut her up. She was stubborn, and she tried to pull away, but he was persistent, too, and eventually she stopped struggling. "Beatrice Prior. You did _nothing_ wrong, you hear me? Shauna's paranoid about a lot of things; it's one of the main reasons I was hesitant about you meeting her. It's nothing against you, and it certainly doesn't affect my feelings towards you, or Zeke's, for that matter."

She was about to cry. Again. She wasn't a cryer, never really was one to show her emotions like that, but something about this, something about the idea of losing Tobias over something she couldn't control… It broke her. "I just… I just want to belong…" she whispered, not really registering what she was saying.

Tobias was startled. _Belong?_ In his friend group? "You _do_ belong, Tris. Zeke loves you, that was obvious." But she seemed unconvinced. So if she didn't mean that, what was she talking about?

Did she somehow think there was any correlation between his friends liking her and her being in his life?

"Tris. I need you to understand. I love you. I love you so fucking much. I need you in my life. You keep me alive, okay? You are _everything_. Zeke and Shauna… I've known them a long time, and they don't know half of the things you know about me. They don't understand me like you do. I care about them, too, but don't think for one second that I need their _approval_ to be with you, because you are in my life whether they like it or not. Whether _anyone_ likes it or not. Everything around me can change, I can lose my job, my friends, my house, but one thing will always remain constant. And that is _you_. Because _you_ are everything that matters. Everything that ever will. I love you, Tris. No one can change that."

She was crying now, but she was holding him, too, was wrapping her arms around his torso and forgetting herself and focusing on his words, his scent, his warmth.

"I love you, too," she whispered. She lifted her head enough to meet his eyes and repeated, "Tobias, _I love you_."

He smiled. Kissed her forehead. He knew that she meant it. And nothing else mattered.

 _ **So what do you think? Too angsty? I feel like I may have made Tris too vulnerable. I've been writing a different story as a project due when school starts, and the main girl in that has anxiety problems, so I apologize if I accidentally let some of her seep into this 0_0 The next chapter will probably have more of the badass Tris we all know and love XD XD Anyway, thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think! - Loopy**_


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